Job 9
1 Then answered Job, and said,
Joob answeride, and seide, Verili Y woot, that it is so,
2 Truly I know that it is so: and how could a mortal be righteous before God?
and that a man comparisound to God schal not be maad iust.
3 If he were desirous to enter into a contest with him, he could not give him one answer out of a thousand.
If he wole stryue with God, he may not answere to God oon for a thousynde.
4 He is wise of heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and escaped unscathed?
He is wiys in herte, and strong in myyt; who ayenstood hym, and hadde pees?
5 [He it is] who removeth mountains, and they know it not, yea, when he overturneth them in his anger;
Which bar hillis fro o place to anothir, and thei wisten not; whiche he distriede in his strong veniaunce.
6 Who shaketh the earth loose out of her place, that her pillars tremble;
Which stirith the erthe fro his place, and the pilers therof schulen `be schakun togidere.
7 Who speaketh to the sun, and he shineth not, and around the stars he placeth a seal;
Which comaundith to the sunne, and it risith not; and he closith the sterris, as vndur a signet.
8 Who spread out the heavens by himself alone, and treadeth upon the hillocks of the sea;
Which aloone stretchith forth heuenes, and goith on the wawis of the see.
9 Who made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers the south;
Which makith Ariture, and Orionas, and Hiadas, `that is, seuene sterris, and the innere thingis of the south.
10 Who doth great things which are quite unsearchable, and wonders which are quite without number.
Which makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis, of whiche is noon noumbre.
11 Lo, were he to go past by me, I should not see him; and were he to pass along, I should not perceive him.
If he cometh to me, `that is, bi his grace, Y schal not se hym; if he goith awey, `that is, in withdrawynge his grace, Y schal not vndurstonde.
12 Behold, were he to snatch aught away, who could hold him back? who would say unto him, What dost thou?
If he axith sodeynli, who schal answere to hym? ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?
13 God will not withdraw his anger: beneath him sink down the helpers of the proud.
`God is he, whos wraththe no man may withstonde; and vndur whom thei ben bowid, that beren the world.
14 How much less then could I answer him, and select my words [to contend] with him?
Hou greet am Y, that Y answere to hym, and speke bi my wordis with hym?
15 Whom, were I even righteous, I could not answer? to him that condemneth me I could [only] make supplication.
Which also schal not answere, thouy Y haue ony thing iust; but Y schal biseche my iuge.
16 Or were I to call, and he would answer me, I could yet not believe that he would give ear unto my voice—
And whanne he hath herd me inwardli clepynge, Y bileue not, that he hath herd my vois.
17 He that bruiseth me with [his] tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without a cause.
For in a whirlewynd he schal al to-breke me, and he schal multiplie my woundis, yhe, without cause.
18 He suffereth me not to recover my breath; but feedeth me overmuch with bitter things.
He grauntith not, that my spirit haue reste, and he fillith me with bittirnesses.
19 If it regard strength, lo, he is the powerful; and if justice, who will cite him for me to appear?
If strengthe is souyt, `he is moost strong; if equyte of doom is souyt, no man dar yelde witnessynge for me.
20 If I were righteous even, my own mouth would condemn me: were I innocent, it would still prove me perverse.
If Y wole make me iust, my mouth schal dampne me; if Y schal schewe me innocent, he schal preue me a schrewe.
21 I am innocent; I will not have regard for myself: I will despise my life.
Yhe, thouy Y am symple, my soule schal not knowe this same thing; and it schal anoye me of my lijf.
22 One thing is [certain], therefore have I said it, The innocent and the wicked he bringeth to their end.
O thing is, which Y spak, he schal waste `bi deth also the innocent and wickid man.
23 If a scourge should slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the guiltless.
If he betith, sle he onys, and leiye he not of the peynes of innocent men.
24 Is a land given up into the hand of the wicked? he covereth the faces of its judges: if this be not the truth, who is it then?
The erthe is youun in to the hondis of the wickid; he hilith the face of iugis; that if he is not, who therfor is?
25 And my days pass swifter than a runner: they flee away, they see no happiness,
Mi daies weren swiftere than a corour; thei fledden, and sien not good.
26 They hasten along like pirate ships: like the eagle that stoopeth down upon his food.
Thei passiden as schippis berynge applis, as an egle fleynge to mete.
27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sorrowful countenance, and recover my cheerfulness:
Whanne Y seie, Y schal not speke so; Y chaunge my face, and Y am turmentid with sorewe.
28 O then would I be in dread of all my pains; I know that thou wilt not declare me innocent.
Y drede alle my werkis, witynge that thou `woldist not spare the trespassour.
29 I must ever be guilty: why then should I fatigue myself for nought?
Sotheli if Y am also thus wickid, whi haue Y trauelid in veyn?
30 If I were to wash myself in snow-water, to cleanse myself in the purity of my hands:
Thouy Y am waischun as with watris of snow, and thouy myn hondis schynen as moost cleene,
31 Even then wouldst thou plunge me in the ditch, that my own clothes would render me abhorred.
netheles thou schalt dippe me in filthis, and my clothis, `that is, werkis, schulen holde me abhomynable.
32 For he is not a man, like me, that I could answer him, that we should enter together into a contest.
Trewli Y schal not answere a man, which is lijk me; nether that may be herd euenli with me in doom.
33 There is no one who can decide between us, who could lay his hand upon us both.
`Noon is, that may repreue euer eithir, and sette his hond in bothe.
34 Let him but remove from me his rod, and let not his dread terrify me:
Do he awei his yerde fro me, and his drede make not me aferd.
35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; for the like I feel not within me.
Y schal speke, and Y schal not drede hym; for Y may not answere dredynge.
