Job 9
1 And Job answered and said,
Joob answeride, and seide, Verili Y woot, that it is so,
2 Of a truth I know it is so; but how can man be just with God?
and that a man comparisound to God schal not be maad iust.
3 If he shall choose to strive with him, he cannot answer him one thing of a thousand.
If he wole stryue with God, he may not answere to God oon for a thousynde.
4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and had peace?
He is wiys in herte, and strong in myyt; who ayenstood hym, and hadde pees?
5 Who removeth mountains, and they know it not, when he overturneth them in his anger;
Which bar hillis fro o place to anothir, and thei wisten not; whiche he distriede in his strong veniaunce.
6 Who shaketh the earth out of its place, and the pillars thereof tremble;
Which stirith the erthe fro his place, and the pilers therof schulen `be schakun togidere.
7 Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and he sealeth up the stars;
Which comaundith to the sunne, and it risith not; and he closith the sterris, as vndur a signet.
8 Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the high waves of the sea;
Which aloone stretchith forth heuenes, and goith on the wawis of the see.
9 Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;
Which makith Ariture, and Orionas, and Hiadas, `that is, seuene sterris, and the innere thingis of the south.
10 Who doeth great things past finding out, and wonders without number.
Which makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis, of whiche is noon noumbre.
11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see [him] not; and he passeth along, and I perceive him not.
If he cometh to me, `that is, bi his grace, Y schal not se hym; if he goith awey, `that is, in withdrawynge his grace, Y schal not vndurstonde.
12 Behold, he taketh away: who will hinder him? Who will say unto him, What doest thou?
If he axith sodeynli, who schal answere to hym? ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?
13 God withdraweth not his anger; the proud helpers stoop under him:
`God is he, whos wraththe no man may withstonde; and vndur whom thei ben bowid, that beren the world.
14 How much less shall I answer him, choose out my words [to strive] with him?
Hou greet am Y, that Y answere to hym, and speke bi my wordis with hym?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, [yet] would I not answer; I would make supplication to my judge.
Which also schal not answere, thouy Y haue ony thing iust; but Y schal biseche my iuge.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me, I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice, —
And whanne he hath herd me inwardli clepynge, Y bileue not, that he hath herd my vois.
17 He, who crusheth me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
For in a whirlewynd he schal al to-breke me, and he schal multiplie my woundis, yhe, without cause.
18 He suffereth me not to take my breath, for he filleth me with bitternesses.
He grauntith not, that my spirit haue reste, and he fillith me with bittirnesses.
19 Be it a question of strength, lo, [he is] strong; and be it of judgment, who will set me a time?
If strengthe is souyt, `he is moost strong; if equyte of doom is souyt, no man dar yelde witnessynge for me.
20 If I justified myself, mine own mouth would condemn me; were I perfect, he would prove me perverse.
If Y wole make me iust, my mouth schal dampne me; if Y schal schewe me innocent, he schal preue me a schrewe.
21 Were I perfect, [yet] would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
Yhe, thouy Y am symple, my soule schal not knowe this same thing; and it schal anoye me of my lijf.
22 It is all one; therefore I said, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
O thing is, which Y spak, he schal waste `bi deth also the innocent and wickid man.
23 If the scourge kill suddenly, he mocketh at the trial of the innocent.
If he betith, sle he onys, and leiye he not of the peynes of innocent men.
24 The earth is given over into the hand of the wicked [man]; he covereth the faces of its judges. If not, who then is it?
The erthe is youun in to the hondis of the wickid; he hilith the face of iugis; that if he is not, who therfor is?
25 And my days are swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no good.
Mi daies weren swiftere than a corour; thei fledden, and sien not good.
26 They pass by like skiffs of reed; as an eagle that swoops upon the prey.
Thei passiden as schippis berynge applis, as an egle fleynge to mete.
27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my [sad] countenance, and brighten up,
Whanne Y seie, Y schal not speke so; Y chaunge my face, and Y am turmentid with sorewe.
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows; I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
Y drede alle my werkis, witynge that thou `woldist not spare the trespassour.
29 Be it that I am wicked, why then do I labour in vain?
Sotheli if Y am also thus wickid, whi haue Y trauelid in veyn?
30 If I washed myself with snow-water, and cleansed my hands in purity,
Thouy Y am waischun as with watris of snow, and thouy myn hondis schynen as moost cleene,
31 Then wouldest thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes would abhor me.
netheles thou schalt dippe me in filthis, and my clothis, `that is, werkis, schulen holde me abhomynable.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him; that we should come together in judgment.
Trewli Y schal not answere a man, which is lijk me; nether that may be herd euenli with me in doom.
33 There is not an umpire between us, who should lay his hand upon us both.
`Noon is, that may repreue euer eithir, and sette his hond in bothe.
34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his terror make me afraid,
Do he awei his yerde fro me, and his drede make not me aferd.
35 [Then] I will speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
Y schal speke, and Y schal not drede hym; for Y may not answere dredynge.
