Job 29
1 And Job continued and said in his parable,
Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
2 Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!
Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
3 As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.
Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
4 [As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.
As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
5 When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;
Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
6 when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.
whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
7 When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.
whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me.
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.
Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
9 And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
10 And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.
duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
11 For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.
An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
12 For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.
for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
13 Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yes, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.
The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
14 Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgement like a mantle.
Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
15 I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.
Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
16 I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.
Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
17 And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.
Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
18 And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm tree; I shall live a long while.
And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
19 [My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.
My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.
My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
21 [Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.
Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
22 At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.
Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
23 As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.
Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
24 Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.
If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and lived as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.
If Y wolde go to hem, Y sat the firste; and whanne Y sat as kyng, while the oost stood aboute, netheles Y was comfortour of hem that morenyden.
