Job 15
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
And Eliphaz the Themanite, answered, and said:
2 Whether a wise man schal answere, as spekynge ayens the wynd, and schal fille his stomac with brennyng, `that is, ire?
Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking in the wind, and fill his stomach with burning heat?
3 For thou repreuest hym bi wordis, which is not lijk thee, and thou spekist that, that spedith not to thee.
Thou reprovest him by words, who is not equal to thee, and thou speakest that which is not good for thee.
4 As myche as is in thee, thou hast avoidid drede; and thou hast take awey preyeris bifor God.
As much as is in thee, thou hast made void fear, and hast taken away prayers from before God.
5 For wickidnesse hath tauyt thi mouth, and thou suest the tunge of blasfemeris.
For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou imitatest the tongue of blasphemers.
6 Thi tunge, and not Y, schal condempne thee, and thi lippis schulen answere thee.
Thy own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: and thy own lips shall answer thee.
7 Whether thou art borun the firste man, and art formed bifor alle little hillis?
Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills?
8 Whether thou herdist the counsel of God, and his wisdom is lower than thou?
Hast thou heard God’s counsel, and shall his wisdom be inferior to thee?
9 What thing knowist thou, whiche we knowen not? What thing vndurstondist thou, whiche we witen not?
What knowest thou that we are ignorant of? what dost thou understand that we know not?
10 Bothe wise men and elde, myche eldre than thi fadris, ben among vs.
There are with us also aged and ancient men, much elder than thy fathers.
11 Whether it is greet, that God coumforte thee? But thi schrewid wordis forbeden this.
Is it a great matter that God should comfort thee? but thy wicked words hinder this.
12 What reisith thin herte thee, and thou as thenkynge grete thingis hast iyen astonyed?
Why doth thy heart elevate thee, and why dost thou stare with thy eyes, as if they were thinking great things?
13 What bolneth thi spirit ayens God, that thou brynge forth of thi mouth siche wordis?
Why doth thy spirit swell against God, to utter such words out of thy mouth?
14 What is a man, that he be with out wem, and that he borun of a womman appere iust?
What is man that he should be without spot, and he that is born of a woman that he should appear just?
15 Lo! noon among hise seyntis is vnchaungable, and heuenes ben not cleene in his siyt.
Behold among his saints none is unchangeable, and the heavens are not pure in his sight.
16 How myche more a man abhomynable and vnprofitable, that drynkith wickidnesse as water?
How much more is man abominable, and unprofitable, who drinketh iniquity like water?
17 I schal schewe to thee, here thou me; Y schal telle to thee that, that Y siy.
I will shew thee, hear me: and I will tell thee what I have seen.
18 Wise men knoulechen, and hiden not her fadris.
Wise men confess and hide not their fathers.
19 To whiche aloone the erthe is youun, and an alien schal not passe bi hem.
To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger hath passed among them.
20 A wickid man is proud in alle hise daies; and the noumbre of hise yeeris and of his tirauntrie is vncerteyn.
The wicked man is proud all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.
21 The sown of drede is euere in hise eeris, and whanne pees is, he supposith euere tresouns.
The sound of dread is always in his ears: and when there is peace, he always suspecteth treason.
22 He bileueth not that he may turne ayen fro derknessis to liyt; and biholdith aboute on ech side a swerd.
He believeth not that he may return from darkness to light, looking round about for the sword on every side.
23 Whanne he stirith hym to seke breed, he woot, that the dai of derknessis is maad redi in his hond.
When he moveth himself to seek bread, he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Tribulacioun schal make hym aferd, and angwisch schal cumpas hym, as a kyng which is maad redi to batel.
Tribulation shall terrify him, and distress shall surround him, as a king that is prepared for the battle.
25 For he helde forth his hond ayens God, and he was maad strong ayens Almyyti God.
For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and hath strengthened himself against the Almighty.
26 He ran with neck reisid ayens God, and he was armed with fat nol.
He hath run against him with his neck raised up, and is armed with a fat neck.
27 Fatnesse, that is, pride `comyng forth of temporal aboundaunce, hilide his face, `that is, the knowyng of vndurstondyng, and outward fatnesse hangith doun of his sidis.
Fatness hath covered his face, and the fat hangeth down on his sides.
28 He schal dwelle in desolat citees, and in deseert, `ethir forsakun, housis, that ben turned in to biriels.
He hath dwelt in desolate cities, and in desert houses that are reduced into heaps.
29 He schal not be maad riche, nether his catel schal dwelle stidefastli; nether he schal sende his roote in the erthe,
He shall not be enriched, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he push his root in the earth.
30 nether he schal go awei fro derknessis. Flawme schal make drie hise braunchis, and he schal be takun a wey bi the spirit of his mouth.
He shall not depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall be taken away by the breath of his own month.
31 Bileue he not veynli disseyued bi errour, that he schal be ayenbouyt bi ony prijs.
He shall not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he may be redeemed with any price.
32 Bifor that hise daies ben fillid, he schal perische, and hise hondis schulen wexe drye;
Before his days be full he shall perish: and his hands shall wither away.
33 he schal be hirt as a vyne in the firste flour of his grape, and as an olyue tre castinge awei his flour.
He shall be blasted as a vine when its grapes are in the first flower, and as an olive tree that casteth its flower.
34 For the gaderyng togidere of an ipocrite is bareyn, and fier schal deuoure the tabernaclis of hem, that taken yiftis wilfuli.
For the congregation of the hypocrite is barren, and fire shall devour their tabernacles, who love to take bribes.
35 He conseyuede sorewe, and childide wickidnesse, and his wombe makith redi tretcheries.
He hath conceived sorrow, and hath brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepareth deceits.
