Job 4
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
2 If a word were essayed to thee, wouldest thou be grieved? But who can refrain from speaking?
If we bigynnen to speke to thee, in hap thou schalt take it heuyli; but who may holde a word conseyued?
3 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands;
Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
4 Thy words have upholden him that was stumbling, and thou hast braced up the bending knees:
Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou grievest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
But now a wounde is comun on thee, and thou hast failid; it touchide thee, and thou art disturblid.
6 Hath not thy piety been thy confidence, and the perfection of thy ways thy hope?
Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who that was innocent has perished? and where were the upright cut off?
Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
8 Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow mischief, reap the same.
Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his nostrils are they consumed.
and repen tho, to haue perischid bi God blowynge, and to be wastid bi the spirit of his ire.
10 The roar of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken;
The roryng of a lioun, and the vois of a lionesse, and the teeth of `whelpis of liouns ben al to-brokun.
11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.
Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried.
12 Now to me a word was secretly brought, and mine ear received a whisper thereof.
Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
13 In thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men: —
In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
14 Fear came on me, and trembling, and made all my bones to shake;
drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
15 And a spirit passed before my face — the hair of my flesh stood up —
And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
16 It stood still; I could not discern the appearance thereof: a form was before mine eyes; I heard a slight murmur and a voice:
Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
17 Shall [mortal] man be more just than God? Shall a man be purer than his Maker?
Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?
18 Lo, he trusteth not his servants, and his angels he chargeth with folly:
Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
19 How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed as the moth!
Hou myche more thei that dwellen in housis of cley, that han an ertheli foundement, schulen be wastyd as of a mouyte.
20 From morning to evening are they smitten: without any heeding it, they perish for ever.
Fro morewtid til to euentid thei schulen be kit doun; and for no man vndurstondith, thei schulen perische with outen ende.
21 Is not their tent-cord torn away in them? they die, and without wisdom.
Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
