Job 12
1 Then Job answered and said:
Sotheli Joob answeride, and seide,
2 No doubt ye are the whole people! And wisdom will die with you!
Therfor ben ye men aloone, that wisdom dwelle with you?
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
And to me is an herte, as and to you, and Y am not lowere than ye; for who knowith not these thingis, whiche ye knowen?
4 I am become a laughing-stock to my friend, —I who call upon God, that he would answer me! The innocent and upright man is held in derision.
He that is scorned of his frend, as Y am, schal inwardli clepe God, and God schal here hym; for the symplenesse of a iust man is scorned.
5 To calamity belongeth contempt in the mind of one at ease; It is ready for them that slip with the feet.
A laumpe is dispisid at the thouytis of riche men, and the laumpe is maad redi to a tyme ordeyned.
6 The tents of robbers are in prosperity, And they who provoke God are secure, Who carry their God in their hand.
The tabernaclis of robberis ben plenteuouse, `ether ful of goodis; and boldli thei terren God to wraththe, whanne he hath youe alle thingis in to her hondis.
7 For ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee; Or the fowls of the air, and they will tell thee;
No wondur, ax thou beestis, and tho schulen teche thee; and axe thou volatilis of the eir, and tho schulen schewe to thee.
8 Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct thee; And the fishes of the sea will declare unto thee.
Speke thou to the erthe, and it schal answere thee; and the fischis of the see schulen telle tho thingis.
9 Who among all these doth not know That the hand of Jehovah doeth these things?
Who knowith not that the hond of the Lord made alle these thingis?
10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind.
In whos hond the soule is of ech lyuynge thing, and the spirit, `that is, resonable soule, of ech fleisch of man.
11 Doth not the ear prove words, As the mouth tasteth meat?
Whether the eere demeth not wordis, and the chekis of the etere demen sauour?
12 With the aged is wisdom, And with length of days is understanding.
Wisdom is in elde men, and prudence is in myche tyme.
13 With Him are wisdom and strength; With Him counsel and understanding.
Wisdom and strengthe is at God; he hath counsel and vndurstondyng.
14 Lo! he pulleth down, and it shall not be rebuilt; He bindeth a man, and he shall not be set loose.
If he distrieth, no man is that bildith; if he schittith in a man, `noon is that openith.
15 Lo! he withholdeth the waters, and they are dried up; He sendeth them forth, and they lay waste the earth.
If he holdith togidere watris, alle thingis schulen be maad drie; if he sendith out tho watris, tho schulen distrie the erthe.
16 With him are strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.
Strengthe and wisdom is at God; he knowith bothe hym that disseyueth and hym that is disseyued.
17 He leadeth counsellors away captive, And judges he maketh fools.
And he bryngith conselours in to a fonned eende, and iugis in to wondryng, ethir astonying.
18 He looseth the authority of kings, And bindeth their loins with a cord.
He vnbindith the girdil of kyngis, and girdith her reynes with a coorde.
19 He leadeth priests away captive, And overthroweth the mighty.
He ledith her prestis with out glorie, and he disseyueth the principal men, `ethir counselours;
20 He removeth speech from the trusty, And taketh away judgment from the elders.
and he chaungith the lippis of sothefast men, and takith awei the doctrine of elde men.
21 He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the girdle of the mighty.
He schedith out dispisyng on princes, and releeueth hem, that weren oppressid.
22 He revealeth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth the shadow of death to light.
Which schewith depe thingis fro derknessis; and bryngith forth in to liyt the schadewe of deeth.
23 He exalteth nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth nations, and leadeth them captive.
Which multiplieth folkis, and leesith hem, and restorith hem destried in to the hool.
24 He taketh away the understanding of the great men of the land, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness, where is no path;
Which chaungith the herte of princes of the puple of erthe; and disseyueth hem, that thei go in veyn out of the weie.
25 They grope in the dark without light; He maketh them stagger like a drunken man.
Thei schulen grope, as in derknessis, and not in liyt; and he schal make hem to erre as drunken men.
