Job 14
1 A man is borun of a womman, and lyueth schort tyme, and is fillid with many wretchidnessis.
Man born of a woman is short of days, and sated with harrowing trouble.
2 Which goith out, and is defoulid as a flour; and fleeth as schadewe, and dwellith neuere perfitli in the same staat.
Like a flower he cometh forth, and is cut down: and he fleeth like a shadow, and remaineth not.
3 And gessist thou it worthi to opene thin iyen on siche a man; and to brynge hym in to doom with thee?
And yet on such a one dost thou open thy eyes, and me thou bringest into judgment with thee?
4 Who may make a man clene conseyued of vnclene seed? Whether not thou, which art aloone?
Who can make a clean thing out of an unclean? not one [thing].
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.
Seeing that his days are determined, the number of his months are [fixed] with thee, that thou hast set his bounds which he cannot 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.
Turn thyself from him that he may recover from his pain, and be able to enjoy like a hired laborer 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 the tree: if it be cut down, it may still sprout again, while its young shoot will not cease.
8 If the roote therof is eeld in the erthe, and the stok therof is nyy deed in dust;
If even its root become old in the earth, and its stock die in the dust:
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 will it flourish [again], and produce boughs as though It were newly planted.
10 But whanne a man is deed, and maad nakid, and wastid; Y preye, where is he?
But man dieth, and lieth powerless: yea, the son of earth departeth—and where is he?
11 As if watris goen awei fro the see, and a ryuer maad voide wexe drie,
The waters run off from the sea, and the river faileth 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 doth man lie down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they will not awake, and will not be roused 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 who would grant that thou mightest hide me in the nether world, that thou mightest conceal me, until thy wrath be appeased, that thou mightest set for me a fixed time, and remember me then! (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.
Or, when a man dieth, will he live again? all the days of my time of service would I then wait, till [the hour of] my release were 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.
Do thou call, and I will truly answer thee: have a desire for the work of thy hands.
16 Sotheli thou hast noumbrid my steppis; but spare thou my synnes.
Yet now thou numberest my steps: and thou waitest not with [the punishment of] my sin.
17 Thou hast seelid as in a bagge my trespassis, but thou hast curid my wickidnesse.
Sealed up in a bag is my transgression, and thou yet addest to my iniquity.
18 An hil fallynge droppith doun; and a rooche of stoon is borun ouer fro his place.
But truly a falling mountain will crumble, and [even] a rock is moved 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 water weareth out stones; thou sweepest away their fragments [like] the dust of the earth: and so 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 assailest him with might without ceasing, till he passeth away: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him off.
21 Whether hise sones ben noble, ether vnnoble, he schal not vndurstonde.
His children acquire honor, but he knoweth it not: and they are esteemed little, but he perceiveth nothing of them.
22 Netheles his fleisch, while he lyueth, schal haue sorewe, and his soule schal morne on hym silf.
But his body. on him, feeleth pain, and his soul will mourn for him.
