Job 4
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, and sayde,
Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
2 If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieued? but who can withholde himselfe from speaking?
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 hast strengthened the wearie hands.
Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
4 Thy wordes haue confirmed him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the weake knees.
Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
5 But now it is come vpon thee, and thou art grieued: it toucheth 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 Is not this thy feare, thy confidence, thy pacience, and the vprightnesse of thy wayes?
Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
7 Remember, I pray thee: who euer perished, being an innocent? or where were the vpright destroyed?
Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
8 As I haue seene, they that plow iniquitie, and sowe wickednesse, reape the same.
Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
9 With the blast of God they perish, and with the breath of his nostrels are they cosumed.
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 voyce of the Lionesse, and the teeth of the Lions whelpes 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 Lyon perisheth for lacke of pray, and the Lyons whelpes are scattered abroade.
Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried.
12 But a thing was brought to me secretly, and mine eare hath receiued a litle thereof.
Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
13 In the thoughtes of ye visions of the night, when sleepe falleth on men,
In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
14 Feare came vpon me, and dread which made all my bones to tremble.
drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
15 And the wind passed before me, and made the heares of my flesh to stande vp.
And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
16 Then stoode one, and I knewe not his face: an image was before mine eyes, and in silence heard I a voyce, saying,
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 more iust then God? or shall a man be more pure then his maker?
Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?
18 Beholde, he founde no stedfastnesse in his Seruants, and laid follie vpon his Angels.
Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
19 Howe much more in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which shalbe destroyed before 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 They be destroyed from the morning vnto the euening: they perish for euer, without regarde.
Fro morewtid til to euentid thei schulen be kit doun; and for no man vndurstondith, thei schulen perische with outen ende.
21 Doeth not their dignitie goe away with them? do they not die, and that without wisdom?
Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
