Job 16
1 Bvt Iob answered, and said,
Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis;
2 I haue oft times heard such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris.
3 Shall there be none ende of wordes of winde? or what maketh thee bold so to answere?
Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?
4 I could also speake as yee doe: (but woulde God your soule were in my soules stead) I could keepe you company in speaking, and could shake mine head at you,
Also Y myyte speke thingis lijk to you, and `Y wolde, that youre soule were for my soule; and Y wolde coumfort you by wordis, and Y wolde moue myn heed on you;
5 But I woulde strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips should asswage your sorowe.
Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you.
6 Though I speake, my sorow can not be asswaged: though I cease, what release haue I?
But what schal Y do? If Y speke, my sorewe restith not; and if Y am stille, it goith not awei fro me.
7 But now hee maketh mee wearie: O God, thou hast made all my congregation desolate,
But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt.
8 And hast made me full of wrinkles which is a witnesse thereof, and my leannes ryseth vp in me, testifying the same in my face.
My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me.
9 His wrath hath torne me, and hee hateth me, and gnasheth vpon mee with his teeth: mine enemie hath sharpened his eyes against me.
He gaderide togidere his woodnesse in me, and he manaasside me, and gnastide ayens me with his teeth; myn enemye bihelde me with ferdful iyen.
10 They haue opened their mouthes vpon me, and smitten me on the cheeke in reproch; they gather themselues together against me.
Thei openyden her mouthis on me, and thei seiden schenschip, and smytiden my cheke; and thei ben fillid with my peynes.
11 God hath deliuered me to the vniust, and hath made mee to turne out of the way by the hands of the wicked.
God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men.
12 I was in welth, but he hath brought me to nought: he hath taken me by the necke, and beaten me, and set me as a marke for himselfe.
Y thilke riche man and famouse sum tyme, am al to brokun sudeynli; `he helde my nol; he hath broke me, and hath set me as in to a signe.
13 His archers compasse mee rounde about: he cutteth my reines, and doth not spare, and powreth my gall vpon the ground.
He hath cumpasside me with hise speris, he woundide togidere my leendis; he sparide not, and schedde out myn entrails in to the erthe.
14 He hath broken me with one breaking vpon another, and runneth vpon me like a gyant.
He beet me with wounde on wounde; he as a giaunt felde in on me.
15 I haue sowed a sackcloth vpon my skinne, and haue abased mine horne vnto the dust.
Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische.
16 My face is withered with weeping, and the shadow of death is vpon mine eyes,
My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke.
17 Though there be no wickednesse in mine hands, and my prayer be pure.
Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God.
18 O earth, couer not thou my blood, and let my crying finde no place.
Erthe, hile thou not my blood, and my cry fynde not in thee a place of hidyng.
19 For lo, now my witnesse is in the heauen, and my record is on hie.
`For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places.
20 My friends speake eloquently against me: but mine eye powreth out teares vnto God.
A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God.
21 Oh that a man might pleade with God, as man with his neighbour!
And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe.
22 For the yeeres accounted come, and I shall go the way, whence I shall not returne.
`For lo! schorte yeeris passen, and Y go a path, bi which Y schal not turne ayen.
