< Job 14 >

1 A man is borun of a womman, and lyueth schort tyme, and is fillid with many wretchidnessis.
For a mortal born of a woman [is] short lived, and full of wrath.
2 Which goith out, and is defoulid as a flour; and fleeth as schadewe, and dwellith neuere perfitli in the same staat.
Or he falls like a flower that has bloomed; and he departs like a shadow, and can’t continue.
3 And gessist thou it worthi to opene thin iyen on siche a man; and to brynge hym in to doom with thee?
Hast you not taken account even of him, and caused him to enter into judgment before you?
4 Who may make a man clene conseyued of vnclene seed? Whether not thou, which art aloone?
For who shall be pure from uncleanness? not even 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 even his life should be [but] one day upon the earth: and his months are numbered by him: you have appointed [him] for a time, and he shall by no means exceed [it].
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.
Depart from him, that he may be quiet, and take pleasure in his life, [though] as a hireling.
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, even if it should be cut down, [that] it shall blossom again, and its branch shall not fail.
8 If the roote therof is eeld in the erthe, and the stok therof is nyy deed in dust;
For though its root should grow old in the earth, and its stem die in the rock;
9 it schal buriowne at the odour of watir, and it schal make heer, as whanne it was plauntid first.
it will blossom from the scent of water, and will produce a crop, as one newly planted.
10 But whanne a man is deed, and maad nakid, and wastid; Y preye, where is he?
But a man that has died is utterly gone; and when a mortal has fallen, he is no more.
11 As if watris goen awei fro the see, and a ryuer maad voide wexe drie,
For the sea wastes in [length of] time, and a river fails and is 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.
And man that has lain down [in death] shall certainly not rise again till the heaven be dissolved, and they shall not awake from 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)
For oh that you had kept me in the grave, and had hidden me until your wrath should cease, and you should set me a time in which you would 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.
For if a man should die, shall he live [again], having accomplished the days of his life? I will wait till I exist again?
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.
Then shall you call, and I will listen to you: but do not you reject the work of your hands.
16 Sotheli thou hast noumbrid my steppis; but spare thou my synnes.
But you have numbered my devices: and not one of my sins shall escape you?
17 Thou hast seelid as in a bagge my trespassis, but thou hast curid my wickidnesse.
An you have sealed up my transgressions in a bag, and marked if I have been guilty of any transgression unawares.
18 An hil fallynge droppith doun; and a rooche of stoon is borun ouer fro his place.
And verily a mountain falling will utterly be destroyed, and a rock shall be worn 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, and waters falling headlong [overflow] a heap of the earth: and you destroy 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.
You drive him to an end, and he is gone: you set your face against him, and send him away;
21 Whether hise sones ben noble, ether vnnoble, he schal not vndurstonde.
and though his children be multiplied, he knows [it] not; and if they be few, he is not aware.
22 Netheles his fleisch, while he lyueth, schal haue sorewe, and his soule schal morne on hym silf.
But his flesh is in pain, and his soul mourns.

< Job 14 >