Job 38
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,
2 Who [is] this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.
5 Who hath laid the measures of it, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
6 Upon what are the foundations of it fastened? or who laid its corner stone;
On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof,
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli?
8 Or [who] shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth, [as if] it had issued out of the womb?
Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe?
9 When I made a cloud its garment, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,
Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed.
10 And broke up for it my decreed [place], and set bars and doors,
Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;
11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.
and Y seide, `Til hidur thou schalt come, and thou schalt not go forth ferthere; and here thou schalt breke togidere thi bolnynge wawis.
12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; [and] caused the day-spring to know its place;
Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?
13 That it might take hold of the ends of earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro?
14 It is turned as clay [to] the seal; and they stand as a garment.
A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth.
15 And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the high arm shall be broken.
The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun.
16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian?
17 Have the gates of death been opened to thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shades of death?
Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris?
18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis,
19 Where [is] the way [where] light dwelleth? and [as for] darkness, where [is] its place,
in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse;
20 That thou shouldest take it to its bound, and that thou shouldest know the paths [to] its house?
that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.
21 Knowest thou [it], because thou wast then born? or [because] the number of thy days [is] great?
Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?
22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail?
23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel.
24 By what way is the light parted, [which] scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe?
25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
26 To cause it to rain on the earth, [where] no man [is]; [on] the wilderness in which [there is] no man;
and weie of the thundur sownynge? That it schulde reyne on the erthe with out man in desert, where noon of deedli men dwellith?
27 To satisfy the desolate and waste [ground]; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis?
28 Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of the dew?
Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew?
29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?
Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene?
30 The waters are hid as [with] a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.
31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis?
32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in its season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with its sons?
Whether thou bryngist forth Lucifer, `that is, dai sterre, in his tyme, and makist euene sterre to rise on the sones of erthe?
33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set its dominion on the earth?
Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?
34 Canst thou lift thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?
35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say to thee, Here we [are]?
Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present?
36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?
Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?
37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,
Who schal telle out the resoun of heuenes, and who schal make acordyng of heuene to sleep?
38 When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?
Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere?
39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,
Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis,
40 When they couch in [their] dens, [and] abide in the covert to lie in wait?
whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes?
41 Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry to God, they wander for want of food.
Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis?
