Job 20
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,
Forsothe Sophar Naamathites answeride, and seide,
2 “Therefore my thoughts answer me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.
Therfor my thouytis dyuerse comen oon aftir anothir; and the mynde is rauyischid in to dyuerse thingis.
3 I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame. The spirit of my understanding answers me.
Y schal here the techyng, bi which thou repreuest me; and the spirit of myn vndurstondyng schal answere me.
4 Don’t you know this from old time, since man was placed on earth,
Y woot this fro the bigynnyng, sithen man was set on erthe,
5 that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless but for a moment?
that the preisyng of wickid men is schort, and the ioie of an ypocrite is at the licnesse of a poynt.
6 Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,
Thouy his pride `stieth in to heuene, and his heed touchith the cloudis,
7 yet he will perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
he schal be lost in the ende, as a dunghil; and, thei that sien hym, schulen seie, Where is he?
8 He will fly away as a dream, and will not be found. Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
As a dreem fleynge awei he schal not be foundun; he schal passe as `a nyytis siyt.
9 The eye which saw him will see him no more, neither will his place see him any more.
The iye that siy hym schal not se; and his place schal no more biholde him.
10 His children will seek the favor of the poor. His hands will give back his wealth.
Hise sones schulen be `al to-brokun with nedynesse; and hise hondis schulen yelde to hym his sorewe.
11 His bones are full of his youth, but youth will lie down with him in the dust.
Hise boonys schulen be fillid with the vices of his yong wexynge age; and schulen slepe with hym in dust.
12 “Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue,
For whanne yuel was swete in his mouth, he hidde it vndur his tunge.
13 though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth,
He schal spare it, and schal not forsake it; and schal hide in his throte.
14 yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
His breed in his wombe schal be turned in to galle of snakis withynne.
15 He has swallowed down riches, and he will vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly.
He schal spue out the richessis, whiche he deuouride; and God schal drawe tho ritchessis out of his wombe.
16 He will suck cobra venom. The viper’s tongue will kill him.
He schal souke the heed of snakis; and the tunge of an addre schal sle hym.
17 He will not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.
Se he not the stremys of the flood of the stronde, of hony, and of botere.
18 He will restore that for which he labored, and will not swallow it down. He will not rejoice according to the substance that he has gotten.
He schal suffre peyne for alle thingis whiche he hath do, netheles he schal not be wastid; aftir the multitude of his fyndyngis, so and `he schal suffre.
19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he will not build it up.
For he brake, and made nakid the hows of a pore man; he rauyschide, and bildide it not.
20 “Because he knew no quietness within him, he will not save anything of that in which he delights.
And his wombe was not fillid; and whanne he hath that, that he couetide, he may not holde in possessioun.
21 There was nothing left that he didn’t devour, therefore his prosperity will not endure.
`No thing lefte of his mete; and therfor no thing schal dwelle of his goodis.
22 In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress will overtake him. The hand of everyone who is in misery will come on him.
Whanne he is fillid, he schal be maad streit; he schal `be hoot, and alle sorewe schal falle in on hym.
23 When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath on him. It will rain on him while he is eating.
`Y wolde, that his wombe be fillid, that he sende out in to hym the ire of his strong veniaunce, and reyne his batel on hym.
24 He will flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow will strike him through.
He schal fle yrun armuris, and he schal falle in to a brasun boowe.
25 He draws it out, and it comes out of his body. Yes, the glittering point comes out of his liver. Terrors are on him.
Led out, and goynge out `of his schethe, and schynynge, `ether smytinge with leit, `in to his bittirnesse; orrible fendis schulen go, and schulen come on hym.
26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire will devour him. It will consume that which is left in his tent.
Alle derknessis ben hid in hise priuytees; fier, which is not teendid, schal deuoure hym; he schal be turmentid left in his tabernacle.
27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity. The earth will rise up against him.
Heuenes schulen schewe his wickidnesse; and erthe schal rise togidere ayens hym.
28 The increase of his house will depart. They will rush away in the day of his wrath.
The seed of his hows schal be opyn; it schal be drawun doun in the dai of the strong veniaunce of the Lord.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, the heritage appointed to him by God.”
This is the part of a wickid man, `which part is youun of God, and the eritage of hise wordis of the Lord.
