< Job 14 >
1 Man that is borne of woman, is of short continuance, and full of trouble.
A man is borun of a womman, and lyueth schort tyme, and is fillid with many wretchidnessis.
2 He shooteth foorth as a flowre, and is cut downe: he vanisheth also as a shadowe, and continueth not.
Which goith out, and is defoulid as a flour; and fleeth as schadewe, and dwellith neuere perfitli in the same staat.
3 And yet thou openest thine eyes vpon such one, and causest me to enter into iudgement with thee.
And gessist thou it worthi to opene thin iyen on siche a man; and to brynge hym in to doom with thee?
4 Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse? there is not one.
Who may make a man clene conseyued of vnclene seed? Whether not thou, which art aloone?
5 Are not his dayes determined? the nober of his moneths are with thee: thou hast appointed his boundes, which he can not passe.
The daies of man ben schorte, the noumbre of his monethis is at thee; thou hast set, ethir ordeyned, hise termes, whiche moun not be passid.
6 Turne from him that he may cease vntill his desired day, as an hyreling.
Therfor go thou awey fro hym a litil, `that is, bi withdrawyng of bodili lijf, that he haue reste; til the meede coueitid come, and his dai is as the dai of an hirid man.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it bee cut downe, that it will yet sproute, and the branches thereof will not cease.
A tree hath hope, if it is kit doun; and eft it wexith greene, and hise braunches spreden forth.
8 Though the roote of it waxe olde in the earth, and the stocke thereof be dead in ye ground,
If the roote therof is eeld in the erthe, and the stok therof is nyy deed in dust;
9 Yet by the sent of water it will bud, and bring foorth boughes like a plant.
it schal buriowne at the odour of watir, and it schal make heer, as whanne it was plauntid first.
10 But man is sicke, and dyeth, and man perisheth, and where is he?
But whanne a man is deed, and maad nakid, and wastid; Y preye, where is he?
11 As the waters passe from the sea, and as the flood decayeth and dryeth vp,
As if watris goen awei fro the see, and a ryuer maad voide wexe drie,
12 So man sleepeth and riseth not: for hee shall not wake againe, nor be raised from his sleepe till the heauen be no more.
so a man, whanne he hath slept, `that is, deed, he schal not rise ayen, til heuene be brokun, `that is, be maad newe; he schal not wake, nether he schal ryse togidere fro his sleep.
13 Oh that thou wouldest hide me in the graue, and keepe me secret, vntill thy wrath were past, and wouldest giue me terme, and remember me. (Sheol )
Who yiueth this to me, that thou defende me in helle, and that thou hide me, til thi greet veniaunce passe; and thou sette to me a tyme, in which thou haue mynde on me? (Sheol )
14 If a man die, shall he liue againe? All the dayes of mine appointed time will I waite, till my changing shall come.
Gessist thou, whethir a deed man schal lyue ayen? In alle the daies, in whiche Y holde knyythod, now Y abide, til my chaungyng come.
15 Thou shalt call me, and I shall answere thee: thou louest the worke of thine own hands.
Thou schalt clepe me, and Y schal answere thee; thou schalt dresse the riyt half, `that is, blis, to the werk of thin hondis.
16 But nowe thou nombrest my steppes, and doest not delay my sinnes.
Sotheli thou hast noumbrid my steppis; but spare thou my synnes.
17 Mine iniquitie is sealed vp, as in a bagge, and thou addest vnto my wickednesse.
Thou hast seelid as in a bagge my trespassis, but thou hast curid my wickidnesse.
18 And surely as the mountaine that falleth, commeth to nought, and the rocke that is remooued from his place:
An hil fallynge droppith doun; and a rooche of stoon is borun ouer fro his place.
19 As the water breaketh the stones, when thou ouerflowest the things which growe in the dust of ye earth: so thou destroyest ye hope of man.
Watris maken stoonys holowe, and the erthe is wastid litil and litil bi waischyng a wey of watir; and therfor thou schalt leese men in lijk maner.
20 Thou preuailest alway against him, so that he passeth away: he changeth his face when thou castest him away.
Thou madist a man strong a litil, that he schulde passe with outen ende; thou schalt chaunge his face, and schalt sende hym out.
21 And he knoweth not if his sonnes shall be honourable, neither shall he vnderstand concerning them, whether they shalbe of lowe degree,
Whether hise sones ben noble, ether vnnoble, he schal not vndurstonde.
22 But while his flesh is vpon him, he shall be sorowfull, and while his soule is in him, it shall mourne.
Netheles his fleisch, while he lyueth, schal haue sorewe, and his soule schal morne on hym silf.