Job 4
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
2 If we essay to address a word to thee, wilt thou be wearied? yet who is able to refrain 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 [ere this] corrected many, and weak hands thou wast wont to strengthen.
Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
4 Him that stumbled thy words used to uphold, and to sinking knees thou gavest vigor.
Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
5 Yet now, when it cometh to thee, thou art wearied: it toucheth even thee, and thou art terrified.
But now a wounde is comun on thee, and thou hast failid; it touchide thee, and thou art disturblid.
6 Is not then thy fear of God still thy confidence, thy hope equal to the integrity of thy ways?
Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous destroyed?
Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
8 Even as I have seen, that those who plough wrong-doing, and sow trouble, have to reap the same.
Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
9 Before the breathing of God they perish, and before the breath of his nostrils they come to their end.
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 voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, 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 old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness have to scatter themselves abroad.
Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried.
12 But to me a word came by stealth, and my ear took in a scarcely perceptible whisper thereof.
Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
13 In intense thoughts out of visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men:
In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
14 Dread came over me, with trembling, and it caused all my bones to shudder.
drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
15 Then flitted a spirit past before my face; the hair of my body stood up:
And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
16 It stood still, but I could not recognize its form; a figure was before my eyes, a slight whisper, then a [louder] voice I heard, saying,
Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
17 Can a mortal be more righteous than God? or can a man be more pure than his Maker?
Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?
18 Behold, in his servants he putteth no trust, and his angels he chargeth with folly:
Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
19 How much less in those that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed till they come to be eaten by 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 From morning to evening are they broken to pieces: without laying it [to heart] they perish for ever.
Fro morewtid til to euentid thei schulen be kit doun; and for no man vndurstondith, thei schulen perische with outen ende.
21 Behold, their excellency which is in them is torn away: they die, and this without wisdom.
Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
