Job 14
1 A man is borun of a womman, and lyueth schort tyme, and is fillid with many wretchidnessis.
Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
2 Which goith out, and is defoulid as a flour; and fleeth as schadewe, and dwellith neuere perfitli in the same staat.
He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.
3 And gessist thou it worthi to opene thin iyen on siche a man; and to brynge hym in to doom with thee?
And do you consider it fitting to look down with your eyes on someone in this way and to lead him into judgment with you?
4 Who may make a man clene conseyued of vnclene seed? Whether not thou, which art aloone?
Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can?
5 The daies of man ben schorte, the noumbre of his monethis is at thee; thou hast set, ethir ordeyned, hise termes, whiche moun not be passid.
The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed.
6 Therfor go thou awey fro hym a litil, `that is, bi withdrawyng of bodili lijf, that he haue reste; til the meede coueitid come, and his dai is as the dai of an hirid man.
Withdraw a little from him, so that he may rest, until his awaited day arrives, like that of the hired hand.
7 A tree hath hope, if it is kit doun; and eft it wexith greene, and hise braunches spreden forth.
A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth.
8 If the roote therof is eeld in the erthe, and the stok therof is nyy deed in dust;
If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust,
9 it schal buriowne at the odour of watir, and it schal make heer, as whanne it was plauntid first.
at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted.
10 But whanne a man is deed, and maad nakid, and wastid; Y preye, where is he?
Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?
11 As if watris goen awei fro the see, and a ryuer maad voide wexe drie,
It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up;
12 so a man, whanne he hath slept, `that is, deed, he schal not rise ayen, til heuene be brokun, `that is, be maad newe; he schal not wake, nether he schal ryse togidere fro his sleep.
just so, when a man is fallen asleep, he will not rise again, until the heavens are worn away; he will not awaken, nor rise from his sleep.
13 Who yiueth this to me, that thou defende me in helle, and that thou hide me, til thi greet veniaunce passe; and thou sette to me a tyme, in which thou haue mynde on me? (Sheol h7585)
Who will grant this to me, that you will protect me in the underworld, and hide me until your fury passes by, and establish a time for me, in which you will remember me? (Sheol h7585)
14 Gessist thou, whethir a deed man schal lyue ayen? In alle the daies, in whiche Y holde knyythod, now Y abide, til my chaungyng come.
Do you suppose that a dead man will live again? On each of the days in which I now battle, I wait until my transformation occurs.
15 Thou schalt clepe me, and Y schal answere thee; thou schalt dresse the riyt half, `that is, blis, to the werk of thin hondis.
You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand.
16 Sotheli thou hast noumbrid my steppis; but spare thou my synnes.
Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins.
17 Thou hast seelid as in a bagge my trespassis, but thou hast curid my wickidnesse.
You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity.
18 An hil fallynge droppith doun; and a rooche of stoon is borun ouer fro his place.
A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place.
19 Watris maken stoonys holowe, and the erthe is wastid litil and litil bi waischyng a wey of watir; and therfor thou schalt leese men in lijk maner.
Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.
20 Thou madist a man strong a litil, that he schulde passe with outen ende; thou schalt chaunge his face, and schalt sende hym out.
You have strengthened him for a little while, so that he may cross over into eternity. You will change his face and send him forth.
21 Whether hise sones ben noble, ether vnnoble, he schal not vndurstonde.
Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand.
22 Netheles his fleisch, while he lyueth, schal haue sorewe, and his soule schal morne on hym silf.
And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself.
