Job 29
1 Job resumed speaking and said,
Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
2 “Oh, that I were as I was in the past months when God cared for me,
Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
3 when his lamp shined on my head, and when I walked through darkness by his light.
Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
4 Oh, that I were as I was in the ripeness of my days when the friendship of God was on my tent,
As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
5 when the Almighty 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 way was covered with cream, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
7 When I went out to the city gate, when I sat in my place in the city square,
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 kept their distance from me in respect, and the aged people rose and stood for me.
Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
9 The princes used to refrain from talking when I came; they would lay their hand on their mouths.
princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
10 The voices of the noblemen were hushed, and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouths.
duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
11 For after their ears heard me, they would then bless me; after their eyes saw me, they would then give witness to me and approve of me
An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
12 because I rescued the one who was poor when he cried out, and the one who had no father when he had no one 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 about to perish came on me; 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 like a robe and a turban.
Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
15 I was eyes to blind people; I was feet to lame people.
Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
16 I was a father to needy people; I would examine the case even of one whom I did not know.
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 man; I plucked the victim out from between 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 will die in my nest; I will multiply my days like the grains of sand.
And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
19 My roots are spread out to the waters, and dew lies all night on my branches.
My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
20 The honor in me is always fresh, and the bow of my strength is always new in my hand.'
My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
21 To me men listened; they waited for me; they stayed silent to hear my advice.
Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
22 After my words were done, they did not speak again; my speech dropped like water on them.
Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
23 They always waited for me as they waited for rain; they opened their mouth wide to drink in my words, as they would do for the latter 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 did not expect it; 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 selected their way and sat as their chief; I lived like a king in his army, like one who comforts 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.
