Job 29
1 Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:
Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
2 Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?
Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
3 When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?
Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?
As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
5 When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?
Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
6 When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil?
whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
7 When I went out to the gate of the city, and in the street they prepared me a chair?
whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me.
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up and stood.
Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
9 The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.
princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
10 The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.
duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
11 The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:
An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
12 Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that had no helper.
for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.
The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
14 I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment, as with a robe and a diadem.
Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
15 I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame.
Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
16 I was the father of the poor: and the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.
Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
17 I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.
Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
18 And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.
And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
19 My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.
My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
20 My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.
My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
21 They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.
Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
22 To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.
Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
23 They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for a latter shower.
Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
24 If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.
If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
25 If I had a mind to go to them, I sat first, and when I sat as a king, with his army standing about him, yet I was a comforter of them that mourned.
If Y wolde go to hem, Y sat the firste; and whanne Y sat as kyng, while the oost stood aboute, netheles Y was comfortour of hem that morenyden.
