Job 21
1 Then Job answered, and said:
Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide,
2 Hear, I beseech you, my words, and do penance.
Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce.
3 Suffer me, and I will speak, and after, if you please, laugh at my words.
Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi.
4 Is my debate against man, that I should not have just reason to be troubled?
Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori?
5 Hearken to me and be astonished, and lay your finger on your mouth.
Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth.
6 As for me, when I remember, I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.
And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch.
7 Why then do the wicked live, are they advanced, and strengthened with riches?
Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis.
8 Their seed continueth before them, a multitude of kinsmen, and of children’s children in their sight.
Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt.
9 Their houses are secure and peaceable, and the rod of God is not upon them.
Her housis ben sikur, and pesible; and the yerde of God is not on hem.
10 Their cattle have conceived, and failed not: their cow has calved, and is not deprived of her fruit.
The cow of hem conseyuede, and caluede not a deed calf; the cow caluyde, and is not priued of hir calf.
11 Their little ones go out like a flock, and their children dance and play.
Her litle children goen out as flockis; and her yonge children `maken fulli ioye with pleies.
12 They take the timbrel, and the harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun.
Thei leden in goodis her daies; and in a point thei goen doun to hellis. (Sheol h7585)
14 Who have said to God: Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies.
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what doth it profit us if we pray to him?
Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him?
16 Yet because their good things are not in their hand, may the counsel of the wicked be far from me.
Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me.
17 How often shall the lamp of the wicked be put out, and a deluge come upon them, and he shall distribute the sorrows of his wrath?
Hou ofte schal the lanterne of wickid men be quenchid, and flowing schal come on hem, and God schal departe the sorewis of his stronge veniaunce?
18 They shall be as chaff before the face of the wind, and as ashes which the whirlwind scattereth.
Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood.
19 God shall lay up the sorrow of the father for his children: and when he shall repay, then shall he know.
God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite.
20 His eyes shall see his own destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God.
21 For what is it to him what befalleth his house after him: and if the number of his months be diminished by one half?
For whi what perteyneth it to hym of his hows aftir hym, thouy the noumbre of his monethis be half takun awey?
22 Shall any one teach God knowledge, who judgeth those that are high?
Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye?
23 One man dieth strong, and hale, rich and happy.
This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie.
24 His bowels are full of fat, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis.
25 But another dieth in bitterness of soul without any riches:
Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis.
26 And yet they shall sleep together in the dust, and worms shall cover them.
And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem.
27 Surely I know your thoughts, and your unjust judgments against me.
Certis Y knowe youre wickid thouytis, and sentensis ayens me.
28 For you say: Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
For ye seien, Where is the hows of the prince? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men?
29 Ask any one of them that go by the way, and you shall perceive that he knoweth these same things.
Axe ye ech of `the weie goeris; and ye schulen knowe, that he vndurstondith these same thingis,
30 Because the wicked man is reserved to the day of destruction, and he shall be brought to the day of wrath.
that an yuel man schal be kept in to the dai of perdicioun, and schal be led to the dai of woodnesse.
31 Who shall reprove his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?
Who schal repreue hise weies bifor hym? and who schal yelde to hym tho thingis, whiche he hath doon?
32 He shall be brought to the graves, and shall watch in the heap of the dead.
He schal be led to the sepulcris; and he schal wake in the heep of deed men.
33 He hath been acceptable to the gravel of Cocytus, and he shall draw every man after him, and there are innumerable before him.
He was swete to the `stoonys, ether filthis, of helle; and drawith ech man aftir hym, and vnnoumbrable men bifor him.
34 How then do ye comfort me in vain, whereas your answer is shewn to be repugnant to truth?
Hou therfor coumforten ye me in veyn, sithen youre answeris ben schewid to `repugne to treuthe?
