Job 14
1 A man is borun of a womman, and lyueth schort tyme, and is fillid with many wretchidnessis.
Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 Which goith out, and is defoulid as a flour; and fleeth as schadewe, and dwellith neuere perfitli in the same staat.
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; and he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 And gessist thou it worthi to opene thin iyen on siche a man; and to brynge hym in to doom with thee?
Yet dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
4 Who may make a man clene conseyued of vnclene seed? Whether not thou, which art aloone?
Who can bring a clean [man] out of the unclean? Not one!
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.
If his days are determined, if the number of his months is with thee, [and] thou hast appointed his bounds which he must not pass,
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.
Look away from him; and let him rest, till he accomplish, as a hireling, his day.
7 A tree hath hope, if it is kit doun; and eft it wexith greene, and hise braunches spreden forth.
For there is hope for a tree: if it be cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease;
8 If the roote therof is eeld in the erthe, and the stok therof is nyy deed in dust;
Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stock die in the ground,
9 it schal buriowne at the odour of watir, and it schal make heer, as whanne it was plauntid first.
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a young plant.
10 But whanne a man is deed, and maad nakid, and wastid; Y preye, where is he?
But a man dieth, and is prostrate; yea, man expireth, and where is he?
11 As if watris goen awei fro the see, and a ryuer maad voide wexe drie,
The waters recede from the lake, and the river wasteth and drieth 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.
So man lieth down, and riseth not again; till the heavens be no more, they do not awake, nor are raised out of their 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)
Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldest keep me secret until thine anger be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and 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.
(If a man die, shall he live [again]?) all the days of my time of toil would I wait, till my change should come:
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.
Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee; thou wouldest have a desire after the work of thy hands.
16 Sotheli thou hast noumbrid my steppis; but spare thou my synnes.
For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
17 Thou hast seelid as in a bagge my trespassis, but thou hast curid my wickidnesse.
My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou heapest up mine iniquity.
18 An hil fallynge droppith doun; and a rooche of stoon is borun ouer fro his place.
And indeed a mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of 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.
The waters wear the stones, the floods thereof wash away the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of 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.
Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth away; thou changest his countenance, and dismissest him.
21 Whether hise sones ben noble, ether vnnoble, he schal not vndurstonde.
His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not.
22 Netheles his fleisch, while he lyueth, schal haue sorewe, and his soule schal morne on hym silf.
But his flesh hath pain for himself alone, and his soul mourneth for himself.
