Job 34
1 Moreover Elihu answered and said,
And Helyu pronounside, and spak also these thingis,
2 Hear my words, ye wise [men]; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
Wise men, here ye my wordis, and lerned men, herkne ye me; for the eere preueth wordis,
3 For the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth food.
and the throte demeth metis bi taast.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good!
Chese we doom to vs; and se we among vs, what is the betere.
5 For Job hath said, I am righteous, and God hath taken away my judgment:
For Job seide, Y am iust, and God hath distried my doom.
6 Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable without transgression.
For whi lesynge is in demynge me, and myn arowe is violent with out ony synne.
7 What man is like Job? he drinketh up scorning like water,
Who is a man, as Joob is, that drynkith scornyng as watir?
8 And goeth in company with workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
that goith with men worchynge wickidnesse, and goith with vnfeithful men?
9 For he hath said, It profiteth not a man if he delight himself in God.
For he seide, A man schal not plese God, yhe, thouy he renneth with God.
10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be wickedness from God, and wrong from the Almighty!
Therfor ye men hertid, `that is, vndurstonde, here ye me; vnpite, `ethir cruelte, be fer fro God, and wickidnesse fro Almyyti God.
11 For a man's work will he render to him, and cause every one to find according to [his] way.
For he schal yelde the werk of man to hym; and bi the weies of ech man he schal restore to hym.
12 Yea, surely, God acteth not wickedly, and the Almighty perverteth not judgment.
For verili God schal not condempne with out cause; nether Almyyti God schal distrie doom.
13 Who hath entrusted to him the earth? and who hath disposed the whole world?
What othere man hath he ordeyned on the lond? ether whom hath he set on the world, which he made?
14 If he only thought of himself, [and] gathered unto him his spirit and his breath,
If God dressith his herte to hym, he schal drawe to hym silf his spirit and blast.
15 All flesh would expire together, and man would return to the dust.
Ech fleisch schal faile togidere; `and a man schal turne ayen in to aisch.
16 If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: give ear to the voice of my words!
Therfor if thou hast vndurstondyng, here thou that that is seid, and herkne the vois of my speche.
17 Should he that hateth right indeed govern? and wilt thou condemn the All-just?
Whether he that loueth not doom may be maad hool? and hou condempnest thou so myche him, that is iust?
18 Shall one say to a king, Belial? to nobles, Wicked?
Which seith to the kyng, Thou art apostata; which clepith the duykis vnpitouse, `ethir vnfeithful.
19 [How then to him] that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich man more than the poor? for they are all the work of his hands.
`Which takith not the persoones of princes, nether knew a tyraunt, whanne he stryuede ayens a pore man; for alle men ben the werk of hise hondis.
20 In a moment they die, even at midnight the people are convulsed and pass away; and the strong are taken away without hand.
Thei schulen die sudeynli, and at mydnyyt puplis schulen be troblid, `ethir schulen be bowid, as othere bookis han; and schulen passe, and schulen take `awei `a violent man with out hond.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his steps.
For the iyen of God ben on the weies of men, and biholdith alle goyngis of hem.
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
No derknessis ben, and no schadewe of deeth is, that thei, that worchen wickidnesse, be hid there;
23 For he doth not long consider a man, to bring him before God in judgment.
for it is `no more in the power of man, that he come to God in to doom.
24 He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and setteth others in their stead;
God schal al to-breke many men and vnnoumbrable; and schal make othere men to stonde for hem.
25 Since he knoweth their actions; and he overthroweth [them] in the night, and they are crushed.
For he knowith the werkis of hem; therfor he schal brynge yn niyt, and thei schulen be al to-brokun.
26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others,
He smoot hem, as vnpitouse men, in the place of seinge men.
27 Because they have turned back from him, and would consider none of his ways;
Whiche yeden awei fro hym bi `castyng afore, and nolden vndurstonde alle hise weies.
28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
That thei schulden make the cry of a nedi man to come to hym, and that he schulde here the vois of pore men.
29 When he giveth quietness, who then will disturb? and when he hideth [his] face, who shall behold him? and this towards a nation, or towards a man alike;
For whanne he grauntith pees, who is that condempneth? Sithen he hidith his cheer, who is that seeth hym? And on folkis and on alle men `he hath power `to do siche thingis.
30 That the ungodly man reign not, that the people be not ensnared.
Which makith `a man ypocrite to regne, for the synnes of the puple.
31 For hath he said unto God, I bear [chastisement], I will not offend;
Therfor for Y haue spoke to God, also Y schal not forbede thee.
32 What I see not, teach thou me; if I have done wrong, I will do so no more?
If Y erride, teche thou me; if Y spak wickidnesse, Y schal no more adde.
33 Shall he recompense according to thy mind? for thou hast refused [his judgment]; for thou so choosest, and not I; speak then what thou knowest.
Whether God axith that wickidnesse of thee, for it displeside thee? For thou hast bigunne to speke, and not Y; that if thou knowist ony thing betere, speke thou.
34 Men of understanding will say to me, and a wise man who heareth me:
Men vndurstondynge, speke to me; and a wise man, here me.
35 Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were not with intelligence.
Forsothe Joob spak folili, and hise wordis sownen not techyng.
36 Would that Job may be tried unto the end, because of [his] answers after the manner of evil men!
My fadir, be Joob preuede `til to the ende; ceesse thou not fro the man of wickidnesse,
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth [his hands] among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
`that addith blasfemye ouer hise synnes. Be he constreyned among vs in the meene tyme; and thanne bi hise wordis stire he God to the doom.
