Job 13
1 Lo! myn iye siy alle thingis, and myn eere herde; and Y vndurstood alle thingis.
Lo, mine eye hath seen all [this], mine ear hath heard and understood it.
2 Euene with youre kunnyng also Y kan, and Y am not lowere than ye.
What ye know, I know also: I am not inferior to you.
3 But netheles Y schal speke to Almyyti God, and Y coueite to dispute with God;
But I will speak to the Almighty, and will find pleasure in reasoning with God;
4 and firste Y schewe you makeris of leesyng, and louyeris of weyward techyngis.
For ye indeed are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
5 And `Y wolde that ye weren stille, that ye weren gessid to be wise men.
Oh that ye would be altogether silent! and it would be your wisdom.
6 Therfor here ye my chastisyngis; and perseyue ye the doom of my lippis.
Hear now my defence, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Whether God hath nede to youre leesyng, that ye speke gilis for hym?
Will ye speak unrighteously for God? and for him speak deceit?
8 Whether ye taken his face, and enforsen to deme for God?
Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
9 Ethir it schal plese hym, fro whom no thing mai be hid? Whether he as a man schal be disseyued with youre falsnessis?
Will it be well if he should search you out? or as one mocketh at a man, will ye mock at him?
10 He schal repreue you; for ye taken his face in hiddlis.
He will certainly reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
11 Anoon as he schal stire hym, he schal disturble you; and his drede schal falle on you.
Shall not his excellency terrify you? and his dread fall upon you?
12 Youre mynde schal be comparisound to aische; and youre nollis schulen be dryuun in to clei.
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, your bulwarks are bulwarks of mire.
13 Be ye stille a litil, that Y speke, what euer thing the mynde hath schewid to me.
Hold your peace from me, and I will speak, and let come on me what [will]!
14 Whi to-rende Y my fleischis with my teeth, and bere my lijf in myn hondis?
Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?
15 Yhe, thouy God sleeth me, Y schal hope in hym; netheles Y schal preue my weies in his siyt.
Behold, if he slay me, yet would I trust in him; but I will defend mine own ways before him.
16 And he schal be my sauyour; for whi ech ypocrite schal not come in his siyt.
This also shall be my salvation, that a profane man shall not come before his face.
17 Here ye my word, and perseyue ye with eeris derke and harde figuratif spechis.
Hear attentively my speech and my declaration with your ears.
18 Yf Y schal be demed, Y woot that Y schal be foundun iust.
Behold now, I have ordered the cause; I know that I shall be justified.
19 Who is he that is demed with me? Come he; whi am Y stille, and am wastid?
Who is he that contendeth with me? For if I were silent now, I should expire.
20 Do thou not to me twei thingis oneli; and thanne Y schal not be hid fro thi face.
Only do not two things unto me; then will I not hide myself from thee.
21 Make thin hond fer fro me; and thi drede make not me aferd.
Withdraw thy hand far from me; and let not thy terror make me afraid:
22 Clepe thou me, and Y schal answere thee; ethir certis Y schal speke, and thou schalt answere me.
Then call, and I will answer; or I will speak, and answer thou me.
23 Hou grete synnes and wickidnessis haue Y? Schewe thou to me my felonyes, and trespassis.
How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.
24 Whi hidist thou thi face, and demest me thin enemy?
Wherefore dost thou hide thy face, and countest me for thine enemy?
25 Thou schewist thi myyt ayens a leef, which is rauyschid with the wynd; and thou pursuest drye stobil.
Wilt thou terrify a driven leaf? and wilt thou pursue dry stubble?
26 For thou writist bitternessis ayens me; and wolt waste me with the synnes of my yong wexynge age.
For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth;
27 Thou hast set my foot in a stok, and thou hast kept alle my pathis; and thou hast biholde the steppis of my feet.
And thou puttest my feet in the stocks, and markest all my paths; thou settest a bound about the soles of my feet; —
28 And Y schal be wastid as rot, and as a cloth, which is etun of a mouyte.
One who, as a rotten thing consumeth, as a garment that the moth eateth.
