Job 9
1 Then Job answered and said,
Joob answeride, and seide, Verili Y woot, that it is so,
2 I know it to be so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?
and that a man comparisound to God schal not be maad iust.
3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one time out of a thousand.
If he wole stryue with God, he may not answere to God oon for a thousynde.
4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?
He is wiys in herte, and strong in myyt; who ayenstood hym, and hadde pees?
5 Who removeth the mountains, and they know not: who overturneth them in his anger.
Which bar hillis fro o place to anothir, and thei wisten not; whiche he distriede in his strong veniaunce.
6 Who shaketh the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble.
Which stirith the erthe fro his place, and the pilers therof schulen `be schakun togidere.
7 Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.
Which comaundith to the sunne, and it risith not; and he closith the sterris, as vndur a signet.
8 Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
Which aloone stretchith forth heuenes, and goith on the wawis of the see.
9 Who maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
Which makith Ariture, and Orionas, and Hiadas, `that is, seuene sterris, and the innere thingis of the south.
10 Who doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
Which makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis, of whiche is noon noumbre.
11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
If he cometh to me, `that is, bi his grace, Y schal not se hym; if he goith awey, `that is, in withdrawynge his grace, Y schal not vndurstonde.
12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say to him, What doest thou?
If he axith sodeynli, who schal answere to hym? ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?
13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.
`God is he, whos wraththe no man may withstonde; and vndur whom thei ben bowid, that beren the world.
14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?
Hou greet am Y, that Y answere to hym, and speke bi my wordis with hym?
15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.
Which also schal not answere, thouy Y haue ony thing iust; but Y schal biseche my iuge.
16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yet I would not believe that he had hearkened to my voice.
And whanne he hath herd me inwardli clepynge, Y bileue not, that he hath herd my vois.
17 For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.
For in a whirlewynd he schal al to-breke me, and he schal multiplie my woundis, yhe, without cause.
18 He will not allow me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.
He grauntith not, that my spirit haue reste, and he fillith me with bittirnesses.
19 If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?
If strengthe is souyt, `he is moost strong; if equyte of doom is souyt, no man dar yelde witnessynge for me.
20 If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, that also shall prove me perverse.
If Y wole make me iust, my mouth schal dampne me; if Y schal schewe me innocent, he schal preue me a schrewe.
21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
Yhe, thouy Y am symple, my soule schal not knowe this same thing; and it schal anoye me of my lijf.
22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.
O thing is, which Y spak, he schal waste `bi deth also the innocent and wickid man.
23 If the scourge shall slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
If he betith, sle he onys, and leiye he not of the peynes of innocent men.
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of its judges; if not, where, and who is he?
The erthe is youun in to the hondis of the wickid; he hilith the face of iugis; that if he is not, who therfor is?
25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.
Mi daies weren swiftere than a corour; thei fledden, and sien not good.
26 They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.
Thei passiden as schippis berynge applis, as an egle fleynge to mete.
27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will put off my heaviness, and comfort myself:
Whanne Y seie, Y schal not speke so; Y chaunge my face, and Y am turmentid with sorewe.
28 I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.
Y drede alle my werkis, witynge that thou `woldist not spare the trespassour.
29 If I am wicked, why then do I labour in vain?
Sotheli if Y am also thus wickid, whi haue Y trauelid in veyn?
30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
Thouy Y am waischun as with watris of snow, and thouy myn hondis schynen as moost cleene,
31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and my own clothes shall abhor me.
netheles thou schalt dippe me in filthis, and my clothis, `that is, werkis, schulen holde me abhomynable.
32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
Trewli Y schal not answere a man, which is lijk me; nether that may be herd euenli with me in doom.
33 Neither is there any mediator between us, that might lay his hand upon us both.
`Noon is, that may repreue euer eithir, and sette his hond in bothe.
34 Let him take away his rod from me, and let not his fear terrify me:
Do he awei his yerde fro me, and his drede make not me aferd.
35 Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
Y schal speke, and Y schal not drede hym; for Y may not answere dredynge.
