Job 38
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,
2 Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
3 Gird up now your loins like a man; for I will demand of you, and answer you me.
Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.
4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if you have understanding.
Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.
5 Who has laid the measures thereof, if you know? or who has stretched the line upon it?
Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof,
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli?
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe?
9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,
Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed.
10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;
11 And said, Until now shall you come, but no further: and here shall your proud waves be stayed?
and Y seide, `Til hidur thou schalt come, and thou schalt not go forth ferthere; and here thou schalt breke togidere thi bolnynge wawis.
12 Have you commanded the morning since your days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;
Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro?
14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth.
15 And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the high arm shall be broken.
The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun.
16 Have you entered into the springs of the sea? or have you walked in the search of the depth?
Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian?
17 Have the gates of death been opened unto you? or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris?
18 Have you perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if you know it all.
Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis,
19 Where is the way where light dwells? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse;
20 That you should take it to the bound thereof, and that you should know the paths to the house thereof?
that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.
21 Know you it, because you were then born? or because the number of your days is great?
Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?
22 Have you entered into the treasures of the snow? or have you seen the treasures of the hail,
Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail?
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel.
24 By what way is the light parted, which scatters the east wind upon the earth?
Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe?
25 Who has divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;
and weie of the thundur sownynge? That it schulde reyne on the erthe with out man in desert, where noon of deedli men dwellith?
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis?
28 Has the rain a father? or who has begotten the drops of dew?
Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who has gendered it?
Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene?
30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.
31 Can you bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis?
32 Can you bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or can you guide Arcturus with his sons?
Whether thou bryngist forth Lucifer, `that is, dai sterre, in his tyme, and makist euene sterre to rise on the sones of erthe?
33 Know you the ordinances of heaven? can you set the dominion thereof in the earth?
Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?
34 Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover you?
Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?
35 Can you send lightnings, that they may go and say unto you, Here we are?
Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? or who has given understanding to the heart?
Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?
37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
Who schal telle out the resoun of heuenes, and who schal make acordyng of heuene to sleep?
38 When the dust grows into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere?
39 Will you hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis,
40 When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes?
41 Who provides for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of food.
Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis?
