Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
4 as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
5 when Shaddai was yet with me, and my children were around me,
Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
7 when I went forth to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me.
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:
An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,
for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I did not know, I searched out.
Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.
And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'
My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
21 "Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
22 After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.
Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.
If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
If Y wolde go to hem, Y sat the firste; and whanne Y sat as kyng, while the oost stood aboute, netheles Y was comfortour of hem that morenyden.
