Job 4
1 Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said:
Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
2 If we begin to speak to thee, perhaps thou wilt take it ill, but who can withhold the words he hath conceived?
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 taught many, and thou hast strengthened the weary hands:
Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
4 Thy words have confirmed them that were staggering, and thou hast strengthened the trembling knees:
Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
5 But now the scourge is come upon thee, and thou faintest: it hath touched 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 Where is thy fear, thy fortitude, thy patience, and the perfection of thy ways?
Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? or when were the just destroyed?
Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
8 On the contrary I have seen those who work iniquity, and sow sorrows, and reap them,
Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
9 Perishing by the blast of God, and consumed by the spirit of his wrath.
and repen tho, to haue perischid bi God blowynge, and to be wastid bi the spirit of his ire.
10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the whelps of 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 tiger hath perished for want of prey, and the young lions are scattered abroad.
Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried.
12 Now there was a word spoken to me in private, and my ears by stealth as it were received the veins of its whisper.
Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
13 In the horror of a vision by night, when deep sleep is wont to hold men,
In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
14 Fear seized upon me, and trembling, and all my bones were affrighted:
drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
15 And when a spirit passed before me, the hair of my flesh stood up.
And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
16 There stood one whose countenance I knew not, an image before my eyes, and I heard the voice as it were of a gentle wind:
Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
17 Shall man be justified in comparison of God, or shall a man be more pure 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 Behold they that serve him are not steadfast, and in his angels he found wickedness:
Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
19 How much more shall they that dwell in houses of clay, who have an earthly foundation, be consumed as with 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 till evening they shall be cut down: and because no one understandeth, they shall 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 And they that shall be left, shall be taken away from them: they shall die, and not in wisdom.
Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
