Job 29
1 Job went on speaking.
Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
2 “I wish I was back in the old days when God looked after me!
Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
3 His light shone above me and lit my way through the darkness.
Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
4 When I was young and strong, God was my friend and spoke to me in my home.
As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
5 The Almighty was still with me and I was surrounded with my children.
Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
6 My herds produced much milk, and oil flowed freely from my olive presses.
whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
7 I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square.
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 moved out of the way; the elders would stand up for me.
Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
9 The leaders remained silent and covered their mouths with their hands.
princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
10 The voices of the officials were hushed; they held their tongues in my presence.
duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
11 Everyone who listened to me praised me; whoever saw me commended me,
An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
12 because I gave to the poor who called out to me and the orphans who had no one to help them.
for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
13 Those who were about to die blessed me; I made the widow sing for joy.
The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
14 Being true and acting right were what I wore for clothing.
Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
15 I was like eyes for the blind and feet for the lame.
Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
16 I was like a father to the poor, and I defended the rights of strangers.
Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
17 I broke the jaw of the wicked and made them drop their prey from their teeth.
Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
18 I thought I would die at home, after many years.
And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
19 Like a tree my roots spread out to the water; the dew rests on my branches overnight.
My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
20 Fresh honors were always being given to me; my strength was renewed like an unfailing bow.
My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
21 People listened carefully to what I had to say; they kept quiet as they listened to my advice.
Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
22 Once I had spoken they had nothing else to say; what I said was enough.
Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
23 They waited for me like people waiting for rain; their mouths wide open for the spring rain.
Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
24 When I smiled at them they could hardly believe it; my approval meant all the world to them.
If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
25 I decided the way forward as their leader, living like a king among his soldiers, and when they were sad I comforted them.
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.
