Job 31

1 A covenant had I made with my eyes: how then should I fix my look on a virgin?

I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn.

2 And what then would have been my portion of God from above? and what lot of the Almighty from on high?

For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis?

3 Is not calamity [ready] for the unjust? and misfortune for the wrong-doers?

Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse?

4 Behold, he truly seeth my ways, and numbereth all my steps;

Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis?

5 [And knoweth] whether I have walked with vain desires, or if my foot hath hastened after deceit.

If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile,

6 Let him weigh me then in a righteous balance, and let God acknowledge my integrity,

God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse.

7 If my step have turned aside from the [proper] way, and my heart have walked after my eyes, and if any blemish have cleaved to my hands:

If my step bowide fro the weie; if myn iye suede myn herte, and a spotte cleuede to myn hondis;

8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; and let what I have growing be rooted out.

sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root.

9 If my heart have been beguiled toward a woman, or if I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door:

If myn herte was disseyued on a womman, and if Y settide aspies at the dore of my frend; my wijf be the hoore of anothir man,

10 Then may my wife labor at the mill for another, and may strangers ill-use her;

and othir men be bowid doun on hir.

11 For this would be incest; yea, it would be an iniquity [to be punished by] the judges;

For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.

12 For it would be a fire that consumeth down to the place of corruption, and would root out all my products.

Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns.

13 If ever I cast aside the justice due to my man-servant and my maid-servant, when they contended with me:

If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden ayens me.

14 What then could I do when God should rise up? and when he should investigate, what could I answer him?

What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym?

15 Did not he that made me make him born or a woman? and did not the same one fashion us in the womb?

Whether he, that wrouyte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe?

16 If ever I denied the wish of the indigent, or ever allowed the eyes of the widow to fall [in vain hopes];

If Y denyede to pore men that, that thei wolden, and if Y made the iyen of a wydewe to abide;

17 Or if ever I ate my bread by myself alone, and the fatherless did not eat thereof;

if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof;

18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as though we were of one father, and I have guided her [as though she was sprung] from my mother's womb; )

for merciful doyng encreesside with me fro my yong childhed, and yede out of my modris wombe with me;

19 If ever I saw any one perishing for want of clothing, or the needy without covering:

if Y dispiside a man passynge forth, for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out hilyng;

20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he have not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

if hise sidis blessiden not me, and was not maad hoot of the fleeces of my scheep;

21 If I have swung my hand against the fatherless, because I saw in the gate those that would help me:

if Y reiside myn hond on a fadirles child, yhe, whanne Y siy me the hiyere in the yate;

22 Then may my shoulder fall from my shoulder-blade, and my arm be broken from the channel-bone;

my schuldre falle fro his ioynt, and myn arm with hise boonys be al to-brokun.

23 For dreaded by me was the calamitous punishment of God, and against his highness I can accomplish nothing.

For euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on me; and `Y myyte not bere his birthun.

24 If I have made gold my confidence, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my trust:

If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist;

25 If ever I rejoiced because my wealth was abundant, and because my hand had gotten much;

if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis;

26 If ever I looked at the light [of the sun] when he shone brightly and on the moon walking in splendor:

if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli;

27 And my heart became misled in secret, and my hand kissed my mouth:

and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth;

28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge; for thus would I have denied the God that is above.

which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God;

29 If ever I rejoiced at the downfall of him that hated me, or was elated when evil befell him; —

if Y hadde ioye at the fallyng of hym, that hatide me, and if Y ioide fulli, that yuel hadde founde hym;

30 But I suffered not my mouth to sin by denouncing with a curse his soul: —

for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule;

31 If the men of my tent said not, Oh is there one that is not satisfied of his flesh; —

if the men of my tabernacle seiden not, Who yyueth, that we be fillid of hise fleischis? a pilgryme dwellide not with outforth;

32 In the street a stranger had not to lodge; my doors I held open to the roadside;

my dore was opyn to a weiegoere;

33 If I covered up my transgressions like a common man, by hiding in my bosom my iniquity;

if Y as man hidde my synne, and helide my wickidnesse in my bosum;

34 Because I dreaded the great multitude, or because the contempt of families did terrify me, so that I kept silence, and dared not to go out of the door; —

if Y dredde at ful greet multitude, and if dispisyng of neyyboris made me aferd; and not more Y was stille, and yede not out of the dore;

35 Oh who will bring me one that would hear me! behold, here is my plea; may the Almighty answer me; and any record which my opponent may have written, —

who yyueth an helpere to me, that Almyyti God here my desire? that he that demeth,

36 Surely upon my shoulder would I carry it: I would bind it as a crown unto me.

write a book, that Y bere it in my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me?

37 The number of my steps would I tell him: as [to] a prince would I go near unto him.—

Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce.

38 If my land ever cried out because of me, or if its furrows wept together;

If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it;

39 If I ever consumed its strength without payment, or caused the soul of its owners to grieve:

if Y eet fruytis therof with out money, and Y turmentide the soule of erthetileris of it;

40 Then may instead of wheat, thorns come forth, and instead of barley, cockle. (Here end the words of Job.)

a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli.