Job 33
1 Hear therefore, O Job, my speeches, and hearken to all my words.
Therfor, Joob, here thou my spechis, and herkene alle my wordis.
2 Behold now I have opened my mouth, let my tongue speak within my jaws.
Lo! Y haue openyd my mouth, my tunge schal speke in my chekis.
3 My words are from my upright heart, and my lips shall speak a pure sentence.
Of symple herte ben my wordis, and my lippis schulen speke clene sentence.
4 The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life.
The spirit of God made me, and the brething of Almyyti God quykenyde me.
5 If thou canst, answer me, and stand up against my face.
If thou maist, answere thou to me, and stoonde thou ayens my face.
6 Behold God hath made me as well as thee, and of the same clay I also was formed.
Lo! God made me as and thee; and also Y am formyd of the same cley.
7 But yet let not my wonder terrify thee, and let not my eloquence be burdensome to thee.
Netheles my myracle make thee not afeerd, and myn eloquence be not greuouse to thee.
8 Now thou has said in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words:
Therfor thou seidist in myn eeris, and Y herde the vois of thi wordis;
9 I am clean, and without sin: I am unspotted, and there is no iniquity in me.
Y am cleene, and with out gilt, and vnwemmed, and wickidnesse is not in me.
10 Because he hath found complaints against me, therefore he hath counted me for his enemy.
`For God foond querels in me, therfor he demyde me enemy to hym silf.
11 He hath put my feet in the stocks, he hath observed all my paths.
He hath set my feet in a stok; he kepte alle my pathis.
12 Now this is the thing in which thou art not justified: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.
Therfor this thing it is, in which thou art not maad iust; Y schal answere to thee, that God is more than man.
13 Dost thou strive against him, because he hath not answered thee to all words?
Thou stryuest ayenus God, that not at alle wordis he answeride to thee.
14 God speaketh once, and repeateth not the selfsame thing the second time.
God spekith onys, and the secounde tyme he rehersith not the same thing.
15 By a dream in a vision by night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, and they are sleeping in their beds:
God spekith bi a dreem in the visioun of nyyt, whanne sleep fallith on men, and thei slepen in the bed.
16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and teaching instructeth them in what they are to learn.
Thanne he openith the eeris of men, and he techith hem, `and techith prudence;
17 That he may withdraw a man from the things he is doing, and may deliver him from pride.
that he turne awei a man fro these thingis whiche he made, and delyuere hym fro pride; delyuerynge his soule fro corrupcioun,
18 Rescuing his soul from corruption: and his life from passing to the sword.
and his lijf, that it go not in to swerd.
19 He rebuketh also by sorrow in the bed, and he maketh all his bones to wither.
Also God blameth a synnere bi sorewe in the bed, and makith alle the boonys of hym `to fade.
20 Bread becometh abominable to him in his life, and to his soul the meat which before he desired.
Breed is maad abhomynable to hym in his lijf, and mete desirable `bifor to his soule.
21 His flesh shall be consumed away, and his bones that were covered shall be made bare.
His fleisch schal faile for rot, and hise boonys, that weren hilid, schulen be maad nakid.
22 His soul hath drawn near to corruption, and his life to the destroyers.
His soule schal neiye to corrupcioun, and his lijf to thingis `bryngynge deeth.
23 If there shall be an angel speaking for him, one among thousands, to declare man’s uprightness,
If an aungel, oon of a thousynde, is spekynge for hym, that he telle the equyte of man, God schal haue mercy on hym,
24 He shall have mercy on him, and shall say: Deliver him, that he may not go down to corruption: I have found wherein I may be merciful to him.
and schal seie, Delyuere thou hym, that he go not doun in to corrupcioun; Y haue founde in what thing Y schal do merci to hym.
25 His flesh is consumed with punishment, let him return to the days of his youth.
His fleisch is wastid of turmentis; turne he ayen to the daies of his yonge wexynge age.
26 He shall pray to God, and he will be gracious to him: and he shall see his face with joy, and he will render to man his justice.
He schal biseche God, and he schal be quemeful to hym; and he schal se his face in hertly ioye, and he schal yelde to man his riytfulnesse.
27 He shall look upon men, and shall say: I have sinned, and indeed I have offended, and I have not received what I have deserved.
He schal biholde men, and he schal seie, Y haue synned, and verili Y haue trespassid; and Y haue not resseyued, as Y was worthi.
28 He hath delivered his soul from going into destruction, that it may live and see the light.
For he delyueride his soule, that it schulde not go in to perischyng, but that he lyuynge schulde se liyt.
29 Behold, all these things God worketh three times within every one.
Lo! God worchith alle these thingis in thre tymes bi alle men;
30 That he may withdraw their souls from corruption, and enlighten them with the light of the living.
that he ayen clepe her soulis fro corrupcioun, and liytne in the liyt of lyuynge men.
31 Attend, Job, and hearken to me: and hold thy peace, whilst I speak.
Thou, Joob, perseyue, and here me, and be thou stille, the while Y speke.
32 But if thou hast any thing to say, answer me, speak: for I would have thee to appear just.
Sotheli if thou hast what thou schalt speke, answere thou to me, speke thou; for Y wole, that thou appere iust.
33 And if thou have not, hear me: hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.
That if thou hast not, here thou me; be thou stille, and Y schal teche thee wisdom.
