Job 30
1 “But now men who are younger than I am make fun of me— men whose fathers I greatly despised, with the result that I would not even have allowed them to help my dogs guard my sheep.
But now yongere men in tyme scornen me, whos fadris Y deynede not to sette with the doggis of my flok.
2 They were men who were old and (weak/worn out); so (what could I gain from them working for me?/I would have gained nothing from them working for me.) [RHQ]
Of whiche men the vertu of hondis was for nouyt to me, and thei weren gessid vnworthi to that lijf.
3 They were very poor and hungry, with the result that they chewed on roots [at night] in dry and desolate places.
Thei weren bareyn for nedynesse and hungur; that gnawiden in wildirnesse, and weren pale for pouert and wretchidnesse;
4 They pulled up plants in the desert [and ate them] and warmed themselves by [burning] the roots of broom trees.
and eeten eerbis, aud the ryndis of trees; and the roote of iunyperis was her mete.
5 Everyone shouted at them as though they were thieves and expelled them [from their areas].
Whiche men rauyschiden these thingis fro grete valeis; and whanne thei hadden foundun ony of alle, thei runnen with cry to tho.
6 They were forced to live in caves in the hills, in holes in the ground, and in the sides of cliffs.
Thei dwelliden in deseertis of strondis, and in caues of erthe, ethir on grauel, `ethir on cley.
7 In the bushes they howled [like animals because they were hungry], and they huddled together under thornbushes.
Whiche weren glad among siche thingis, and arettiden delices to be vndur buschis.
8 They were people without good sense, whose names no one knows; they have been expelled from the land [where they were born].
The sones of foolis and of vnnoble men, and outirli apperynge not in erthe.
9 “And now their [children] sing songs to make fun of me. They tell jokes about me.
But now Y am turned in to the song of hem, and Y am maad a prouerbe to hem.
10 They are disgusted with me, and they [usually] stay away from me, [but when they see me, ] they are happy to spit in my face.
Thei holden me abhomynable, and fleen fer fro me, and dreden not to spete on my face.
11 Because [it is as though] [MET] God has cut my bowstring, [he has caused me to be unable to defend myself, ] and he has humbled me, and my enemies have done to me whatever they wanted.
For God hath openyd his arowe caas, and hath turmentid me, and hath set a bridil in to my mouth.
12 (Gangs/Groups of violent youths) attack me and force me to run away; they prepare to destroy me.
At the riytside of the eest my wretchidnessis risiden anoon; thei turneden vpsedoun my feet, and oppressiden with her pathis as with floodis.
13 They prevent me from escaping, and they [do] not [need] anyone to help them (OR, there is no one to help me).
Thei destrieden my weies; thei settiden tresoun to me, and hadden the maistri; and `noon was that helpide.
14 [It is as though I am a city wall and] [SIM] they have broken through the wall, and they have come crashing down on me.
Thei felden in on me as bi a brokun wal, and bi yate openyd, and weren stretchid forth to my wretchidnessis.
15 I am very terrified; My dignity/honor has been taken away as though [SIM] [it has been] blown away by the wind, and my prosperity has disappeared like [SIM] clouds disappear.
Y am dryuun in to nouyt; he took awei my desir as wynd, and myn helpe passide awei as a cloude.
16 “And now I [SYN] am about to die [IDM]; I suffer every day.
But now my soule fadith in my silf, and daies of turment holden me stidfastly.
17 My bones ache during the night, and the pain that torments me never stops.
In nyyt my boon is persid with sorewis; and thei, that eten me, slepen not.
18 [It is as though God] seizes my clothes and chokes me with the collar of my coat.
In the multitude of tho my cloth is wastid, and thei han gird me as with coler of a coote.
19 He has thrown me into the mud; I am [not worth anything more than] dust and ashes.
Y am comparisound to cley, and Y am maad lijk to a deed sparcle and aisch.
20 “I cry out to God, but he does not answer/help me; I stand up [and pray], but he does not pay any attention.
Y schal cry to thee, and thou schalt not here me; Y stonde, and thou biholdist not me.
21 He acts very cruelly toward me; with all of his power [MTY] he causes me to suffer.
Thou art chaungid in to cruel to me, and in the hardnesse of thin hond thou art aduersarie to me.
22 He [allows] the wind to lift me up and blow me away, and he tosses me up and down in a violent storm.
Thou hast reisid me, and hast set as on wynd; and hast hurtlid me doun strongli.
23 I know that he will cause me to die, which is what happens to everyone [MTY] who is alive.
Y woot, that thow schalt bitake me to deeth, where an hows is ordeyned to ech lyuynge man.
24 “When people experience disasters, and they sit on a pile of ruins and cry out for help, others surely [RHQ] reach out their hand to help them.
Netheles thou sendist not out thin hond to the wastyng of hem; and if thei fallen doun, thou schalt saue.
25 [That is what I did previously]. I wept for people who were experiencing troubles, and I felt sorry for poor/needy people.
Y wepte sum tyme on him, that was turmentid, and my soule hadde compassioun on a pore man.
26 But when I expected good things [to happen to me], evil things happened; when I waited for light/happiness, all I experienced was darkness/unhappiness [MET].
Y abood goodis, and yuelis ben comun to me; Y abood liyt, and derknessis braken out.
27 I am very distressed [IDM], all the time; I suffer every day.
Myn ynnere thingis buyliden out with outen my reste; daies of turment camen bifor me.
28 I go about very discouraged; I stand up and plead for people to help me.
Y yede morenynge, and Y roos with out woodnesse in the cumpenye, and criede.
29 My wailing sounds as sad as [MET] the cries of jackals/foxes and ostriches.
Y was the brother of dragouns, and the felow of ostrigis.
30 My skin has become dark/black and is peeling off, and I have a fever [which causes my body to feel like it is] burning.
My skyn was maad blak on me, and my boonys drieden for heete.
31 Previously, I played joyful music on my harp and with my flute, but now I play only the sad music of those who mourn.”
Myn harpe is turned in to morenyng, and myn orgun in to the vois of weperis.
