Job 15
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
2 “Would a wise man answer with such empty ‘knowledge’ that is just a lot of hot air?
Whether a wise man schal answere, as spekynge ayens the wynd, and schal fille his stomac with brennyng, `that is, ire?
3 He wouldn't argue with unprofitable speeches using words that do no good.
For thou repreuest hym bi wordis, which is not lijk thee, and thou spekist that, that spedith not to thee.
4 But you are doing away with the fear of God, and destroying communion with him.
As myche as is in thee, thou hast avoidid drede; and thou hast take awey preyeris bifor God.
5 It's your sins that are doing the talking, and you are choosing deceptive words.
For wickidnesse hath tauyt thi mouth, and thou suest the tunge of blasfemeris.
6 Your own mouth is condemning you, not me; your own lips are testifying against you.
Thi tunge, and not Y, schal condempne thee, and thi lippis schulen answere thee.
7 Were you the very first person to be born? Were you born before the hills were created?
Whether thou art borun the firste man, and art formed bifor alle little hillis?
8 Were you there listening in God's council? Does wisdom only belong to you?
Whether thou herdist the counsel of God, and his wisdom is lower than thou?
9 What do you know that we don't? What do you understand that we don't?
What thing knowist thou, whiche we knowen not? What thing vndurstondist thou, whiche we witen not?
10 We have among us old, gray-haired people much older than your father!
Bothe wise men and elde, myche eldre than thi fadris, ben among vs.
11 Are the comforts God provides too little for you? Are God's gentle words not enough for you?
Whether it is greet, that God coumforte thee? But thi schrewid wordis forbeden this.
12 Why do you let yourself be carried away by your emotions?
What reisith thin herte thee, and thou as thenkynge grete thingis hast iyen astonyed?
13 Why do your eyes flash in anger that you turn against God and let yourself speak this way?
What bolneth thi spirit ayens God, that thou brynge forth of thi mouth siche wordis?
14 Who can say they are clean? Which human being can say that they do what is right?
What is a man, that he be with out wem, and that he borun of a womman appere iust?
15 Look, God doesn't even trust his angels—even the heavenly beings are not pure in his sight!
Lo! noon among hise seyntis is vnchaungable, and heuenes ben not cleene in his siyt.
16 How much less pure are those who are unclean and corrupt, drinking in sin like water!
How myche more a man abhomynable and vnprofitable, that drynkith wickidnesse as water?
17 If you are ready to listen to me, I will show you. I will explain my insights.
I schal schewe to thee, here thou me; Y schal telle to thee that, that Y siy.
18 This is what wise men have said, confirmed by their ancestors,
Wise men knoulechen, and hiden not her fadris.
19 those who to whom alone the land was given before foreigners ever were there.
To whiche aloone the erthe is youun, and an alien schal not passe bi hem.
20 The wicked writhe in pain all their lives, through all the years these oppressors survive.
A wickid man is proud in alle hise daies; and the noumbre of hise yeeris and of his tirauntrie is vncerteyn.
21 Terrifying sounds fill their ears; even when they think they're safe, the destroyer will attack them.
The sown of drede is euere in hise eeris, and whanne pees is, he supposith euere tresouns.
22 They don't believe they will escape the darkness—they know a sword is waiting for them.
He bileueth not that he may turne ayen fro derknessis to liyt; and biholdith aboute on ech side a swerd.
23 They wander around looking for food, asking ‘Where is it?’ They know that their day of darkness is close at hand.
Whanne he stirith hym to seke breed, he woot, that the dai of derknessis is maad redi in his hond.
24 Misery and torment overwhelm them like a king preparing for battle.
Tribulacioun schal make hym aferd, and angwisch schal cumpas hym, as a kyng which is maad redi to batel.
25 They shake their fists in God's face, defiantly challenging the Almighty,
For he helde forth his hond ayens God, and he was maad strong ayens Almyyti God.
26 insolently attacking him with their shields.
He ran with neck reisid ayens God, and he was armed with fat nol.
27 They have become fat in their rebellion, their bellies bloated with fat.
Fatnesse, that is, pride `comyng forth of temporal aboundaunce, hilide his face, `that is, the knowyng of vndurstondyng, and outward fatnesse hangith doun of his sidis.
28 But their cities will become desolate; they will live in abandoned houses that are crumbling into ruins.
He schal dwelle in desolat citees, and in deseert, `ethir forsakun, housis, that ben turned in to biriels.
29 They will lose their riches, their wealth will not endure, their possessions will not spread over the earth.
He schal not be maad riche, nether his catel schal dwelle stidefastli; nether he schal sende his roote in the erthe,
30 They will not escape from the darkness. Like a tree whose shoots are burned up in a forest fire, the breath of God will blow him away.
nether he schal go awei fro derknessis. Flawme schal make drie hise braunchis, and he schal be takun a wey bi the spirit of his mouth.
31 They should not trust in things that are worthless, for their reward will be worthless.
Bileue he not veynli disseyued bi errour, that he schal be ayenbouyt bi ony prijs.
32 This will be paid in full before their time has come. They are like tree branches that wither,
Bifor that hise daies ben fillid, he schal perische, and hise hondis schulen wexe drye;
33 like vines that lose their unripe grapes, or olive trees that lose their flowers.
he schal be hirt as a vyne in the firste flour of his grape, and as an olyue tre castinge awei his flour.
34 For those who reject God are barren, and fire will burn up the homes of those who love bribes.
For the gaderyng togidere of an ipocrite is bareyn, and fier schal deuoure the tabernaclis of hem, that taken yiftis wilfuli.
35 They plan trouble and produce evil, giving birth to deception.”
He conseyuede sorewe, and childide wickidnesse, and his wombe makith redi tretcheries.
