Job 15
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
2 Whether a wise man schal answere, as spekynge ayens the wynd, and schal fille his stomac with brennyng, `that is, ire?
“Does a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill his belly [with] an east wind?
3 For thou repreuest hym bi wordis, which is not lijk thee, and thou spekist that, that spedith not to thee.
To reason with a word not useful? And speeches—no profit in them?
4 As myche as is in thee, thou hast avoidid drede; and thou hast take awey preyeris bifor God.
Indeed, you make reverence void, and diminish meditation before God.
5 For wickidnesse hath tauyt thi mouth, and thou suest the tunge of blasfemeris.
For your mouth teaches your iniquity, And you choose the tongue of the cunning.
6 Thi tunge, and not Y, schal condempne thee, and thi lippis schulen answere thee.
Your mouth declares you wicked, and not I, And your lips testify against you.
7 Whether thou art borun the firste man, and art formed bifor alle little hillis?
Are you the first man born? And were you formed before the heights?
8 Whether thou herdist the counsel of God, and his wisdom is lower than thou?
Do you hear of the secret counsel of God? And withdraw wisdom to you?
9 What thing knowist thou, whiche we knowen not? What thing vndurstondist thou, whiche we witen not?
What have you known, and we do not know? [What] do you understand, and it is not with us?
10 Bothe wise men and elde, myche eldre than thi fadris, ben among vs.
Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us—Greater than your father [in] days.
11 Whether it is greet, that God coumforte thee? But thi schrewid wordis forbeden this.
Are the comforts of God too few for you? And a gentle word [is] with you,
12 What reisith thin herte thee, and thou as thenkynge grete thingis hast iyen astonyed?
Why does your heart take you away? And why are your eyes high?
13 What bolneth thi spirit ayens God, that thou brynge forth of thi mouth siche wordis?
Do you turn your spirit against God? And have brought out words from your 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 is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
15 Lo! noon among hise seyntis is vnchaungable, and heuenes ben not cleene in his siyt.
Behold, He puts no credence in His holy ones, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.
16 How myche more a man abhomynable and vnprofitable, that drynkith wickidnesse as water?
Also—surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking perverseness as water.
17 I schal schewe to thee, here thou me; Y schal telle to thee that, that Y siy.
I show you—listen to me—And this I have seen and declare,
18 Wise men knoulechen, and hiden not her fadris.
Which the wise declare—And have not hid—from their fathers.
19 To whiche aloone the erthe is youun, and an alien schal not passe bi hem.
To them alone was the land given, And a stranger did not pass over into their midst:
20 A wickid man is proud in alle hise daies; and the noumbre of hise yeeris and of his tirauntrie is vncerteyn.
All [the] days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.
21 The sown of drede is euere in hise eeris, and whanne pees is, he supposith euere tresouns.
A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace a destroyer comes to him.
22 He bileueth not that he may turne ayen fro derknessis to liyt; and biholdith aboute on ech side a swerd.
He does not believe to return from darkness, And he watches for the sword.
23 Whanne he stirith hym to seke breed, he woot, that the dai of derknessis is maad redi in his hond.
He is wandering for bread: Where [is] it? He has known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.
24 Tribulacioun schal make hym aferd, and angwisch schal cumpas hym, as a kyng which is maad redi to batel.
Adversity and distress terrify him, They prevail over him as a king ready for a boaster.
25 For he helde forth his hond ayens God, and he was maad strong ayens Almyyti God.
For he stretched out his hand against God, And against the Mighty he makes himself mighty.
26 He ran with neck reisid ayens God, and he was armed with fat nol.
He runs to Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.
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.
For he has covered his face with his fat, And makes vigor over [his] confidence.
28 He schal dwelle in desolat citees, and in deseert, `ethir forsakun, housis, that ben turned in to biriels.
And he inhabits cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.
29 He schal not be maad riche, nether his catel schal dwelle stidefastli; nether he schal sende his roote in the erthe,
He is not rich, nor does his wealth rise, Nor does he stretch out their continuance on 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 does not turn aside from darkness, A flame dries up his tender branch, And he turns aside at the breath of His mouth!
31 Bileue he not veynli disseyued bi errour, that he schal be ayenbouyt bi ony prijs.
Do not let him put credence in vanity, He has been deceived, For vanity is his exchange.
32 Bifor that hise daies ben fillid, he schal perische, and hise hondis schulen wexe drye;
It is not completed in his day, And his bending branch is not green.
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 shakes off his unripe fruit as a vine, And casts off his blossom as an olive.
34 For the gaderyng togidere of an ipocrite is bareyn, and fier schal deuoure the tabernaclis of hem, that taken yiftis wilfuli.
For the company of the profane [is] barren, And fire has consumed tents of bribery.
35 He conseyuede sorewe, and childide wickidnesse, and his wombe makith redi tretcheries.
To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart prepares deceit.”
