Job 21
1 Then Job answered,
Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide,
2 “Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.
Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce.
3 Allow me, and I also will speak. After I have spoken, mock on.
Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi.
4 As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn’t I be impatient?
Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori?
5 Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.
Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth.
6 When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh.
And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch.
7 “Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?
Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis.
8 Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes.
Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt.
9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
Her housis ben sikur, and pesible; and the yerde of God is not on hem.
10 Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry.
The cow of hem conseyuede, and caluede not a deed calf; the cow caluyde, and is not priued of hir calf.
11 They send out their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.
Her litle children goen out as flockis; and her yonge children `maken fulli ioye with pleies.
12 They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun.
Thei leden in goodis her daies; and in a point thei goen doun to hellis. (Sheol h7585)
14 They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways.
Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies.
15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’
Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him?
16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me.
17 “How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger?
Hou ofte schal the lanterne of wickid men be quenchid, and flowing schal come on hem, and God schal departe the sorewis of his stronge veniaunce?
18 How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away?
Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood.
19 You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.
God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite.
20 Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God.
21 For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?
For whi what perteyneth it to hym of his hows aftir hym, thouy the noumbre of his monethis be half takun awey?
22 “Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?
Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye?
23 One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie.
24 His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.
Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis.
25 Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.
Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis.
26 They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.
And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts, the plans with which you would wrong me.
Certis Y knowe youre wickid thouytis, and sentensis ayens me.
28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’
For ye seien, Where is the hows of the prince? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men?
29 Haven’t you asked wayfaring men? Don’t you know their evidences,
Axe ye ech of `the weie goeris; and ye schulen knowe, that he vndurstondith these same thingis,
30 that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, that they are led out to the day of wrath?
that an yuel man schal be kept in to the dai of perdicioun, and schal be led to the dai of woodnesse.
31 Who will declare his way to his face? Who will repay him what he has done?
Who schal repreue hise weies bifor hym? and who schal yelde to hym tho thingis, whiche he hath doon?
32 Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men will keep watch over the tomb.
He schal be led to the sepulcris; and he schal wake in the heep of deed men.
33 The clods of the valley will be sweet to him. All men will draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.
He was swete to the `stoonys, ether filthis, of helle; and drawith ech man aftir hym, and vnnoumbrable men bifor him.
34 So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”
Hou therfor coumforten ye me in veyn, sithen youre answeris ben schewid to `repugne to treuthe?
