Job 29
1 Moreover, Job continued his parable, and said,
Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
2 Oh that I were as [in] months past, as [in] the days [when] God preserved me;
Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
3 When his candle shined upon my head, [and when] by his light I walked [through] darkness;
Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God [was] upon my tabernacle;
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, [when] my children [were] about me;
Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers 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 gate through the city, [when] I prepared my seat in the street!
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 hid themselves: and the aged arose, [and] stood up.
Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid [their] hand on their mouth.
princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
11 When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me; and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me:
An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and [him that had] none to help him.
for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and 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 judgment [was] as a robe and a diadem.
Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet [was] I to the lame.
Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
16 I [was] a father to the poor: and the cause [which] I knew not I searched out.
Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
17 And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of 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 shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply [my] days as the sand.
And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
19 My root [was] spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
20 My glory [was] fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
21 To me [men] gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
22 After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide [as] for the latter rain.
Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
24 [If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one [that] comforteth the 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.
