Job 19
1 Then Job answered and said,
Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Hou long turmente ye my soule,
2 How long will ye vex my soul and break me in pieces with words?
and al to-breken me with wordis?
3 These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.
Lo! ten sithis ye schenden me, and ye ben not aschamed, oppressynge me.
4 And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.
Forsothe and if Y `koude not, myn vnkynnyng schal be with me.
5 If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:
And ye ben reisid ayens me, and repreuen me with my schenschipis.
6 Know now that God hath subverted me [in my cause], and hath compassed me with his net.
Nameli now vndurstonde ye, that God hath turmentid me not bi euene doom, and hath cumpassid me with hise betyngis.
7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry for help, but there is no judgment.
Lo! Y suffrynge violence schal crye, and no man schal here; Y schal crye loude, and `noon is that demeth.
8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and hath set darkness in my paths.
He bisette aboute my path, and Y may not go; and he settide derknessis in my weie.
9 He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.
He hath spuylid me of my glorye, and hath take awey the coroun fro myn heed.
10 He hath broken me down on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he plucked up like a tree.
He hath distried me on ech side, and Y perischide; and he hath take awei myn hope, as fro a tre pullid vp bi the roote.
11 He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as [one of] his adversaries.
His stronge veniaunce was wrooth ayens me; and he hadde me so as his enemye.
12 His troops come on together, and cast up their way against me, and encamp round about my tent.
Hise theues camen togidere, and `maden to hem a wei bi me; and bisegiden my tabernacle in cumpas.
13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.
He made fer my britheren fro me; and my knowun as aliens yeden awei fro me.
14 My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
My neiyboris forsoken me; and thei that knewen me han foryete me.
15 They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.
The tenauntis of myn hows, and myn handmaydis hadden me as a straunger; and Y was as a pilgrym bifor her iyen.
16 I call unto my servant, and he giveth me no answer, [though] I entreat him with my mouth.
Y clepide my seruaunt, and he answeride not to me; with myn owne mouth Y preiede hym.
17 My breath is strange to my wife, and my supplication to the children of my [mother’s] womb.
My wijf wlatide my breeth; and Y preiede the sones of my wombe.
18 Even young children despise me; if I arise, they speak against me.
Also foolis dispisiden me; and whanne Y was goon awei fro hem, thei bacbitiden me.
19 All my inward friends abhor me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
Thei, that weren my counselouris sum tyme, hadden abhomynacioun of me; and he, whom Y louede moost, was aduersarie to me.
20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
Whanne fleischis weren wastid, my boon cleuyde to my skyn; and `oneli lippis ben left aboute my teeth.
21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
Haue ye merci on me, haue ye merci on me, nameli, ye my frendis; for the hond of the Lord hath touchid me.
22 Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?
Whi pursuen ye me, as God pursueth; and ben fillid with my fleischis?
23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were inscribed in a book!
Who yyueth to me, that my wordis be writun? Who yyueth to me,
24 That with an iron pen and lead they were graven in the rock for ever!
that tho be writun in a book with an yrun poyntil, ethir with a plate of leed; ethir with a chisel be grauun in a flynt?
25 But I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand up at the last upon the earth:
For Y woot, that myn ayenbiere lyueth, and in the laste dai Y schal rise fro the erthe;
26 And after my skin hath been thus destroyed, yet from my flesh shall I see God:
and eft Y schal be cumpassid with my skyn, and in my fleisch Y schal se God, my sauyour.
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. My reins are consumed within me.
Whom Y my silf schal se, and myn iyen schulen biholde, and not an other man. This myn hope is kept in my bosum.
28 If ye say, How we will persecute him! seeing that the root of the matter is found in me;
Whi therfor seien ye now, Pursue we hym, and fynde we the roote of a word ayens hym?
29 Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath [bringeth] the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.
Therfor fle ye fro the face of the swerd; for the swerd is the vengere of wickidnessis, and wite ye, that doom schal be.
