Job 16
1 And Job answered and said,
Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis;
2 I have heard many such things: grievous comforters are ye all.
alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris.
3 Shall words of wind have an end? or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?
4 I also could speak as ye: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could join together words against you, and shake my head at you;
Also Y myyte speke thingis lijk to you, and `Y wolde, that youre soule were for my soule; and Y wolde coumfort you by wordis, and Y wolde moue myn heed on you;
5 [But] I would encourage you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips should assuage [your pain].
Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you.
6 If I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and if I forbear, what am I eased?
But what schal Y do? If Y speke, my sorewe restith not; and if Y am stille, it goith not awei fro me.
7 But now he hath made me weary; ...thou hast made desolate all my family;
But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt.
8 Thou hast shrivelled me up! it is become a witness; and my leanness riseth up against me, it beareth witness to my face.
My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me.
9 His anger teareth and pursueth me; he gnasheth with his teeth against me; [as] mine adversary he sharpeneth his eyes at me.
He gaderide togidere his woodnesse in me, and he manaasside me, and gnastide ayens me with his teeth; myn enemye bihelde me with ferdful iyen.
10 They gape upon me with their mouth; they smite my cheeks reproachfully; they range themselves together against me.
Thei openyden her mouthis on me, and thei seiden schenschip, and smytiden my cheke; and thei ben fillid with my peynes.
11 God hath delivered me over to the iniquitous man, and hurled me into the hands of the wicked.
God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men.
12 I was at rest, but he hath shattered me; he hath taken me by the neck and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
Y thilke riche man and famouse sum tyme, am al to brokun sudeynli; `he helde my nol; he hath broke me, and hath set me as in to a signe.
13 His arrows encompass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
He hath cumpasside me with hise speris, he woundide togidere my leendis; he sparide not, and schedde out myn entrails in to the erthe.
14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach; he runneth upon me like a mighty man.
He beet me with wounde on wounde; he as a giaunt felde in on me.
15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and rolled my horn in the dust.
Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische.
16 My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke.
17 Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God.
18 O earth, cover not my blood, and let there be no place for my cry!
Erthe, hile thou not my blood, and my cry fynde not in thee a place of hidyng.
19 Even now, behold, my Witness is in the heavens, and he that voucheth for me is in the heights.
`For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places.
20 My friends are my mockers; mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God.
21 Oh that there were arbitration for a man with God, as a son of man for his friend!
And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe.
22 For years [few] in number shall pass, — and I shall go the way [whence] I shall not return.
`For lo! schorte yeeris passen, and Y go a path, bi which Y schal not turne ayen.
