Job 24
1 Why are not times treasured up by the Almighty? And why do not they who know him see his days?
Tymes ben not hid fro Almyyti God; sotheli thei that knowen hym, knowen not hise daies.
2 They remove landmarks; They take away flocks by violence, and pasture them.
Othere men turneden ouer the termes of neiyboris eritage, thei token awei flockis, and fedden tho.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, And take the widow's ox for a pledge.
Thei driueden awei the asse of fadirlesse children, and token awei the cow of a widewe for a wed.
4 They push the needy from the way; All the poor of the land are forced to hide themselves.
Thei distrieden the weie of pore men, and thei oppressiden togidere the mylde men of erthe.
5 Behold, like wild asses of the desert, they go forth to their work; They search for prey; The wilderness supplieth them food for their children.
Othere men as wielde assis in deseert goon out to her werk; and thei waken to prey, and bifor maken redy breed to her children.
6 In the fields they reap the harvest, And gather the vintage of the oppressor.
Thei kitten doun a feeld not hern, and thei gaderen grapis of his vyner, whom thei han oppressid bi violence.
7 They lodge naked, without clothing, And without covering from the cold.
Thei leeuen men nakid, and taken awei the clothis, to whiche men is noon hiling in coold;
8 They are drenched with the mountain showers, And embrace the rock for want of shelter.
whiche men the reynes of munteyns weeten, and thei han noon hilyng, and biclippen stoonys.
9 The fatherless are torn from the breast, And the garment of the needy is taken for a pledge.
Thei diden violence, and robbiden fadirles and modirles children; and thei spuyliden, `ether robbiden, the comynte of pore men.
10 They go naked, without clothing, And carry the sheaf hungry.
Thei token awey eeris of corn fro nakid men, and goynge with out cloth, and fro hungry men.
11 They make oil within their walls, And tread the wine-vat, yet suffer thirst.
Thei weren hid in myddai among the heepis of tho men, that thirsten, whanne the presses ben trodun.
12 From anguish the dying groan, And the wounded cry aloud; And God regardeth not their prayer!
Thei maden men of citees to weile, and the soulis of woundid men schulen crye; and God suffrith it not to go awei vnpunyschid.
13 Others hate the light; They know not its ways, And abide not in its paths.
Thei weren rebel to liyt; thei knewen not the weyes therof, nether thei turneden ayen bi the pathis therof.
14 With the light ariseth the murderer; He killeth the poor and needy; In the night he is as a thief.
A mansleere risith ful eerli, and sleeth a nedi man, and a pore man; sotheli bi nyyt he schal be as a nyyt theef.
15 The eye of the adulterer watcheth for the twilight; He saith, “No eye will see me,” And putteth a mask upon his face.
The iye of avouter kepith derknesse, and seith, An yye schal not se me; and he schal hile his face.
16 In the dark they break into houses; In the daytime they shut themselves up; They are strangers to the light.
Thei mynen housis in derknessis, as thei seiden togidere to hem silf in the dai; and thei knewen not liyt.
17 The morning is to them the very shadow of death; They are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
If the morewtid apperith sudeynli, thei demen the schadewe of deth; and so thei goon in derknessis as in liyt.
18 Light are they on the face of the waters; They have an accursed portion in the earth; They come not near the vineyards.
He is vnstablere than the face of the water; his part in erthe be cursid, and go he not bi the weie of vyneris.
Passe he to ful greet heete fro the watris of snowis, and the synne of hym `til to hellis. (Sheol h7585)
20 His own mother forgetteth him; The worm feedeth sweetly on him; He is no more remembered, And iniquity is broken like a tree.
Merci foryete hym; his swetnesse be a worm; be he not in mynde, but be he al to-brokun as `a tre vnfruytful.
21 He oppresseth the barren, that hath not borne, And doeth not good to the widow.
For he fedde the bareyn, and hir that childith not, and he dide not wel to the widewe.
22 He taketh away the mighty by his power; He riseth up, and no one is sure of life.
He drow doun stronge men in his strengthe; and whanne he stondith in `greet state, he schal not bileue to his lijf.
23 God giveth them security, so that they are confident; His eyes are upon their ways.
God yaf to hym place of penaunce, and he mysusith that in to pride; for the iyen of God ben in the weies of that man.
24 They are exalted; —in a little while they are gone! They are brought low, and die, like all others; And like the topmost ears of corn are they cut off.
Thei ben reisid at a litil, and thei schulen not stonde; and thei schulen be maad low as alle thingis, and thei schulen be takun awei; and as the hyynessis of eeris of corn thei schulen be al to-brokun.
25 If it be not so, who will confute me, And show my discourse to be worthless?
That if it is not so, who may repreue me, that Y liede, and putte my wordis bifor God?
