Job 24
1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days?
Tymes ben not hid fro Almyyti God; sotheli thei that knowen hym, knowen not hise daies.
2 There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed them.
Othere men turneden ouer the termes of neiyboris eritage, thei token awei flockis, and fedden tho.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
Thei driueden awei the asse of fadirlesse children, and token awei the cow of a widewe for a wed.
4 They turn the needy out of the way; the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
Thei distrieden the weie of pore men, and thei oppressiden togidere the mylde men of erthe.
5 Behold, as wild asses in the wilderness they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; the desert yieldeth them bread for their children.
Othere men as wielde assis in deseert goon out to her werk; and thei waken to prey, and bifor maken redy breed to her children.
6 They cut his provender in the field; and they despoil the vineyard of the wicked.
Thei kitten doun a feeld not hern, and thei gaderen grapis of his vyner, whom thei han oppressid bi violence.
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
Thei leeuen men nakid, and taken awei the clothis, to whiche men is noon hiling in coold;
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
whiche men the reynes of munteyns weeten, and thei han noon hilyng, and biclippen stoonys.
9 There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor;
Thei diden violence, and robbiden fadirles and modirles children; and thei spuyliden, `ether robbiden, the comynte of pore men.
10 So that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves;
Thei token awey eeris of corn fro nakid men, and goynge with out cloth, and fro hungry men.
11 They make oil within the rows of these men; they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
Thei weren hid in myddai among the heepis of tho men, that thirsten, whanne the presses ben trodun.
12 From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; yet God imputeth it not for unseemliness.
Thei maden men of citees to weile, and the soulis of woundid men schulen crye; and God suffrith it not to go awei vnpunyschid.
13 These are of them that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.
Thei weren rebel to liyt; thei knewen not the weyes therof, nether thei turneden ayen bi the pathis therof.
14 The murderer riseth with the light, to kill the poor and needy; and in the night he is as a thief.
A mansleere risith ful eerli, and sleeth a nedi man, and a pore man; sotheli bi nyyt he schal be as a nyyt theef.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying: 'No eye shall see me'; and he putteth a covering on his face.
The iye of avouter kepith derknesse, and seith, An yye schal not se me; and he schal hile his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses; they shut themselves up in the day-time; they know not the light.
Thei mynen housis in derknessis, as thei seiden togidere to hem silf in the dai; and thei knewen not liyt.
17 For the shadow of death is to all of them as the morning; for they know the terrors of the shadow of death.
If the morewtid apperith sudeynli, thei demen the schadewe of deth; and so thei goon in derknessis as in liyt.
18 He is swift upon the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; he turneth not by the way of the vineyards.
He is vnstablere than the face of the water; his part in erthe be cursid, and go he not bi the weie of vyneris.
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the nether-world those that have sinned. (Sheol h7585)
Passe he to ful greet heete fro the watris of snowis, and the synne of hym `til to hellis. (Sheol h7585)
20 The womb forgetteth him; the worm feedeth sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and unrighteousness is broken as a tree.
Merci foryete hym; his swetnesse be a worm; be he not in mynde, but be he al to-brokun as `a tre vnfruytful.
21 He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow.
For he fedde the bareyn, and hir that childith not, and he dide not wel to the widewe.
22 He draweth away the mighty also by his power; he riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life.
He drow doun stronge men in his strengthe; and whanne he stondith in `greet state, he schal not bileue to his lijf.
23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, yet His eyes are upon their ways.
God yaf to hym place of penaunce, and he mysusith that in to pride; for the iyen of God ben in the weies of that man.
24 They are exalted for a little while, and they are gone; yea, they are brought low, they are gathered in as all others, and wither as the tops of the ears of corn.
Thei ben reisid at a litil, and thei schulen not stonde; and thei schulen be maad low as alle thingis, and thei schulen be takun awei; and as the hyynessis of eeris of corn thei schulen be al to-brokun.
25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?
That if it is not so, who may repreue me, that Y liede, and putte my wordis bifor God?
