< Job 36 >

1 Elihu also continued, and said,
Also Helyu addide, and spak these thingis,
2 "Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for I still have something to say on God's behalf.
Suffre thou me a litil, and Y schal schewe to thee; for yit Y haue that, that Y schal speke for God.
3 I will get my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
Y schal reherse my kunnyng fro the bigynnyng; and Y schal preue my worchere iust.
4 For truly my words are not false. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
For verili my wordis ben with out leesyng, and perfit kunnyng schal be preued to thee.
5 "Look, God is mighty, and doesn't despise anyone. He is mighty in strength of understanding.
God castith not awei myyti men, sithen he is myyti;
6 He doesn't preserve the life of the wicked, but gives to the afflicted their right.
but he saueth not wickid men, and he yyueth dom to pore men.
7 He doesn't withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
He takith not awei hise iyen fro a iust man; and he settith kyngis in seete with out ende, and thei ben reisid there.
8 If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions,
And if thei ben in chaynes, and ben boundun with the roopis of pouert,
9 then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
he schal shewe to hem her werkis, and her grete trespassis; for thei weren violent, `ethir rauenours.
10 He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.
Also he schal opene her eere, that he chastise; and he schal speke, that thei turne ayen fro wickidnesse.
11 If they listen and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
If thei heren, and kepen, thei schulen fille her daies in good, and her yeris in glorie.
12 But if they do not listen, they shall perish by the sword; they shall die without knowledge.
Sotheli if thei heren not, thei schulen passe bi swerd, and thei schulen be wastid in foli.
13 "But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They do not cry for help when he binds them.
Feyneris and false men stiren the ire of God; and thei schulen not crye, whanne thei ben boundun.
14 They die in youth. Their life perishes among the unclean.
The soule of hem schal die in tempest; and the lijf of hem among `men of wymmens condiciouns.
15 He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear in oppression.
He schal delyuere a pore man fro his angwisch; and he schal opene `the eere of hym in tribulacioun.
16 Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a broad place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.
Therfor he schal saue thee fro the streit mouth of the broddeste tribulacioun, and not hauynge a foundement vndur it; sotheli the rest of thi table schal be ful of fatnesse.
17 "But you are full of the judgment of the wicked. Judgment and justice take hold of you.
Thi cause is demed as the cause of a wickid man; forsothe thou schalt resseyue thi cause and doom.
18 Do not let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.
Therfor ire ouercome thee not, that thou oppresse ony man; and the multitude of yiftis bowe thee not.
19 Would your wealth sustain you in distress, or all the might of your strength?
Putte doun thi greetnesse with out tribulacioun, and putte doun alle stronge men bi strengthe.
20 Do not desire the night, when people are cut off in their place.
Dilaie thou not nyyt, that puplis stie for hem.
21 Take heed, do not regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction.
Be thou war, that thou bowe not to wickidnesse; for thou hast bigunne to sue this wickidnesse aftir wretchidnesse.
22 Look, God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?
Lo! God is hiy in his strengthe, and noon is lijk hym among the yyueris of lawe.
23 Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, 'You have committed unrighteousness?'
Who mai seke out the weies of God? ethir who dar seie to hym, Thou hast wrouyt wickidnesse?
24 "Remember that you magnify his work, whereof men have sung.
Haue thou mynde, that thou knowist not his werk, of whom men sungun.
25 All men have looked thereon. Man sees it afar off.
Alle men seen God; ech man biholdith afer.
26 Look, God is great, and we do not know him. The number of his years is unsearchable.
Lo! God is greet, ouercomynge oure kunnyng; the noumbre of hise yeeris is with out noumbre.
27 For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapor,
Which takith awei the dropis of reyn; and schedith out reynes at the licnesse of floodyatis,
28 Which the skies pour down and which drop on humankind abundantly.
whiche comen doun of the cloudis, that hilen alle thingis aboue.
29 Yes, can any understand the spreading of the clouds, and the thunderings of his pavilion?
If he wole stretche forthe cloudis as his tente,
30 Look, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.
and leite with his liyt fro aboue, he schal hile, yhe,
31 For by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance.
the herris of the see. For bi these thingis he demeth puplis, and yyueth mete to many deedli men.
32 He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.
In hondis he hidith liyt; and comaundith it, that it come eft.
33 Its noise tells about him, and the livestock also concerning the storm that comes up.
He tellith of it to his freend, that it is his possessioun; and that he may stie to it.

< Job 36 >