Job 17
1 “My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct and the grave is ready for me.
Mi spirit schal be maad feble; my daies schulen be maad schort, and oneli the sepulcre is left to me.
2 Surely there are mockers with me. My eye dwells on their provocation.
Y have not synned, and myn iye dwellith in bittirnessis.
3 “Now give a pledge. Be collateral for me with yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me?
Lord, delyuere thou me, and sette thou me bisidis thee; and the hond of ech fiyte ayens me.
4 For you have hidden their heart from understanding, therefore you will not exalt them.
Thou hast maad the herte of hem fer fro doctryn, `ethir knowyng of treuthe; therfor thei schulen not be enhaunsid.
5 He who denounces his friends for plunder, even the eyes of his children will fail.
He bihetith prey to felowis, and the iyen of hise sones schulen faile.
6 “But he has made me a byword of the people. They spit in my face.
He hath set as in to a prouerbe of the comyn puple, and his saumple bifor hem.
7 My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow.
Myn `iye dasewide at indignacioun; and my membris ben dryuun as in to nouyt.
8 Upright men will be astonished at this. The innocent will stir himself up against the godless.
Iust men schulen wondre on this thing; and an innocent schal be reisid ayens an ypocrite.
9 Yet the righteous will hold to his way. He who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.
And a iust man schal holde his weie, and he schal adde strengthe to clene hondis.
10 But as for you all, come back. I will not find a wise man among you.
Therfor alle `ye be conuertid, and come ye; and Y schal not fynde in you ony wiys man.
11 My days are past. My plans are broken off, as are the thoughts of my heart.
My daies ben passid; my thouytis ben scaterid, turmentynge myn herte.
12 They change the night into day, saying ‘The light is near’ in the presence of darkness.
Tho han turned the nyyt `in to day; and eft aftir derknessis hope liyt.
If Y `susteyne, ether suffre pacientli, helle is myn hous; and Y haue arayede my bed in derknessis. (Sheol h7585)
14 if I have said to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My mother,’ and ‘My sister,’
Y seide to rot, Thou art my fadur; and to wormes, Ye ben my modir and my sister.
15 where then is my hope? As for my hope, who will see it?
Therfor where is now myn abidyng? and who biholdith my pacience?
