Job 6
1 And Job answers and says:
Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide,
2 “O that my provocation were thoroughly weighed, And my calamity in balances They would lift up together!
Y wolde, that my synnes, bi whiche Y `desseruede ire, and the wretchidnesse which Y suffre, weren peisid in a balaunce.
3 For now it is heavier than the sands of the sea, Therefore my words have been rash.
As the grauel of the see, this wretchidnesse schulde appere greuousere; wherfor and my wordis ben ful of sorewe.
4 For arrows of the Mighty [are] with me, Whose poison is drinking up my spirit. Terrors of God array themselves [for] me!
For the arowis of the Lord ben in me, the indignacioun of whiche drynkith vp my spirit; and the dredis of the Lord fiyten ayens me.
5 Does a wild donkey bray over tender grass? Does an ox low over his provender?
Whether a feeld asse schal rore, whanne he hath gras? Ethir whether an oxe schal lowe, whanne he stondith byfor a `ful cratche?
6 Is an insipid thing eaten without salt? Is there sense in the drivel of dreams?
Ether whethir a thing vnsauery may be etun, which is not maad sauery bi salt? Ether whether ony man may taaste a thing, which tastid bryngith deeth?
7 My soul is refusing to touch! They [are] as my sickening food.
For whi to an hungri soule, yhe, bittir thingis semen to be swete; tho thingis whiche my soule nolde touche bifore, ben now my meetis for angwisch.
8 O that my request may come, That God may grant my hope!
Who yyueth, that myn axyng come; and that God yyue to me that, that Y abide?
9 That God would please—and bruise me, Loose His hand and cut me off!
And he that bigan, al to-breke me; releesse he his hond, and kitte me doun?
10 And yet it is my comfort (And I exult in pain—He does not spare), That I have not hidden The sayings of the Holy One.
And `this be coumfort to me, that he turmente me with sorewe, and spare not, and that Y ayenseie not the wordis of the hooli.
11 What [is] my power that I should hope? And what [is] my end that I should prolong my life?
For whi, what is my strengthe, that Y suffre? ethir which is myn ende, that Y do pacientli?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? Is my flesh bronze?
Nethir my strengthe is the strengthe of stoonus, nether my fleisch is of bras.
13 Is my help not with me, And substance driven from me?
Lo! noon help is to me in me; also my meyneal frendis `yeden awey fro me.
14 To a despiser of his friends [is] shame, And the fear of the Mighty he forsakes.
He that takith awei merci fro his frend, forsakith the drede of the Lord.
15 My brothers have deceived as a brook, As a stream of brooks they pass away.
My britheren passiden me, as a stronde doith, that passith ruschyngli in grete valeis.
16 That are black because of ice, By them snow hides itself.
Snow schal come on hem, that dreden frost.
17 By the time they are warm they have been cut off, By its being hot they have been Extinguished from their place.
In the tyme wherynne thei ben scaterid, thei schulen perische; and as thei ben hoote, thei schulen be vnknyt fro her place.
18 The paths turn aside of their way, They ascend into emptiness, and are lost.
The pathis of her steppis ben wlappid; thei schulen go in veyn, and schulen perische.
19 Passengers of Tema looked expectingly, Travelers of Sheba hoped for them.
Biholde ye the pathis of Theman, and the weies of Saba; and abide ye a litil.
20 They were ashamed that one has trusted, They have come to it and are confounded.
Thei ben schent, for Y hopide; and thei camen `til to me, and thei ben hilid with schame.
21 Surely now you have become the same! You see a downfall, and are afraid.
Now ye ben comun, and now ye seen my wounde, and dreden.
22 Is it because I said, Give to me? And, By your power bribe for me?
Whether Y seide, Brynge ye to me, and yiue ye of youre catel to me? ethir,
23 And, Deliver me from the hand of an adversary? And, Ransom me from the hand of terrible ones?
Delyuere ye me fro the hond of enemy, and rauysche ye me fro the hond of stronge men?
24 Show me, and I keep silent, And what I have erred, let me understand.
Teche ye me, and Y schal be stille; and if in hap Y vnknew ony thing, teche ye me.
25 How powerful have been upright sayings, And what reproof from you reproves?
Whi han ye depraued the wordis of trewthe? sithen noon is of you, that may repreue me.
26 For reproof—do you reckon words? And for wind—sayings of the desperate?
Ye maken redi spechis oneli for to blame, and ye bryngen forth wordis in to wynde.
27 You cause anger to fall on the fatherless, And are strange to your friend.
Ye fallen in on a fadirles child, and enforsen to peruerte youre frend.
28 And now, please, look on me, Even to your face do I lie?
Netheles fille ye that, that ye han bigunne; yyue ye the eere, and se ye, whether Y lie.
29 Please turn back, let it not be perverseness, Indeed, turn back again—my righteousness [is] in it.
Y biseche, answere ye with out strijf, and speke ye, and deme ye that, that is iust.
30 Is there perverseness in my tongue? Does my palate not discern calamity?”
And ye schulen not fynde wickidnesse in my tunge, nethir foli schal sowne in my chekis.
