Job 38
1 Then did the Lord address Job out of the storm-wind, and said,
Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,
2 Who is this that casteth darkness [on my] counsel by words without knowledge?
and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
3 Do but gird up like a mighty man thy loins: and I will ask thee, and do thou inform me.
Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? tell it, if thou hast any understanding [of it].
Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.
5 Who fixed her measurements, if thou knowest it? or who stretched the measuring-line over her?
Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
6 Upon what are her foundation-pillars placed at rest? or who laid her corner-stone:
On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof,
7 When altogether sang the morning stars in gladness, and shouted for joy all the sons of God?
whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli?
8 And who closed up with doors the sea, when, issuing forth, it came out of the deep bosom of the earth?
Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe?
9 When I made the clouds its garment, and thick fog its swaddling-cloth,
Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed.
10 And when I decreed for it my law, and set [for it] bars and doors,
Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;
11 And said, Thus far mayest thou come, but no farther; and here shall be stayed [thy strength] in the pride of thy waves?
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 Didst thou ever, in all thy days, command the morning; didst thou ever assign the morning-dawn its place:
Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?
13 That it might lay hold of the ends of the earth, so that the wicked might be shaken out therefrom?
Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro?
14 She is changed as the sealing-clay: and [all things] stand as though newly clad.
A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth.
15 And from the wicked is their light withdrawn, and the high-raised arm is broken.
The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun.
16 Didst thou ever penetrate as far as the springs of the sea? or wander through the bottom of the deep?
Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian?
17 Were the gates of death ever laid open unto thee? or canst thou see the doors of the shadow of death?
Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris?
18 Hast thou a clear understanding of the breadth of the earth? Tell it, if thou knowest it all.
Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis,
19 Where is the way [to the spot where] the light dwelleth? and the darkness—where is its place,
in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse;
20 That thou mightest take each to its boundary, and that thou mightest mark the pathways to its house?
that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.
21 Thou [surely] knowest it; because thou wast then born, and the number of thy days is great!
Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?
22 Didst thou ever enter into the treasuries of the snow? or canst thou see the treasuries of the hail,
Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail?
23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress, for the day of fight and battle?
whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel.
24 Where is the way [to the spot where] the light divideth itself, [where] the east wind is scattered over the earth?
Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe?
25 Who hath divided off watercourses for the overflowing rain, and a way for the lightning [that is followed by] thunders,
Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
26 To bring rain on a land, void of men; on a wilderness wherein no son of earth [is found];
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 waste and desolate lands; and to promote the growth of the tender grass?
That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis?
28 Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of the dew?
Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew?
29 Out of whose womb cometh forth the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven—who giveth birth to it?
Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene?
30 [When] like a stone the waters are congealed, and the face of the deep is bound in fetters?
Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.
31 Canst thou bind together the chains of the Pleiades, or loosen the bands of Orion?
Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis?
32 Canst thou bring forth the constellations of the zodiac, each in its season? or canst thou guide the Bear with its young?
Whether thou bryngist forth Lucifer, `that is, dai sterre, in his tyme, and makist euene sterre to rise on the sones of erthe?
33 Knowest thou the laws of heaven? or dost thou appoint its rule on the earth?
Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?
34 Canst thou lift up to the clouds thy voice, that the abundance of waters may cover thee?
Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?
35 Canst thou send out lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here are we?
Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the dark clouds? or who hath given understanding to the bright meteors?
Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?
37 Who ordaineth the skies with wisdom? or who emptieth out 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 is poured out as molten metal, and the clods are made to cleave fast together?
Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere?
39 Dost thou hunt for the lioness her prey? and suppliest thou the food for the young lions,
Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis,
40 When they are couched in their lairs, rest in the thicket, lying in wait?
whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes?
41 Who provideth for the raven his provision? when his young ones cry unto God, and wander about 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?
