Job 15
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
2 Whether a wise man schal answere, as spekynge ayens the wynd, and schal fille his stomac with brennyng, `that is, ire?
Should, a wise man, answer unreal knowledge? or fill, with the east wind, his inner man?
3 For thou repreuest hym bi wordis, which is not lijk thee, and thou spekist that, that spedith not to thee.
Disputing with discourse that doth no good, or with speech, wherein is no profit?
4 As myche as is in thee, thou hast avoidid drede; and thou hast take awey preyeris bifor God.
But, thou, wouldst take away reverence, and wouldst attain unto meditation before GOD.
5 For wickidnesse hath tauyt thi mouth, and thou suest the tunge of blasfemeris.
For thine own mouth would teach thine iniquity, and thou wouldst choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 Thi tunge, and not Y, schal condempne thee, and thi lippis schulen answere thee.
Thine own mouth shall condemn thee, and, not I, And, thine own lips, shall testify against thee.
7 Whether thou art borun the firste man, and art formed bifor alle little hillis?
The first of mankind, wast thou born? Or, before the hills, wast thou brought forth?
8 Whether thou herdist the counsel of God, and his wisdom is lower than thou?
In the secret council of GOD, hast thou been wont to hearken? Or canst thou attain for thyself unto wisdom?
9 What thing knowist thou, whiche we knowen not? What thing vndurstondist thou, whiche we witen not?
What knowest thou, that we know not? [What] understandest thou, and the same, is not with us?
10 Bothe wise men and elde, myche eldre than thi fadris, ben among vs.
Both hoary and venerable, are among us, one mightier than thy father in days!
11 Whether it is greet, that God coumforte thee? But thi schrewid wordis forbeden this.
Too small for thee, are the consolations of GOD? or a word spoken gently with thee?
12 What reisith thin herte thee, and thou as thenkynge grete thingis hast iyen astonyed?
How doth thine own heart carry thee away, and how thine eyes do roll!
13 What bolneth thi spirit ayens God, that thou brynge forth of thi mouth siche wordis?
For thy spirit, replieth against GOD, and thou bringest forth—out of thy mouth—words!
14 What is a man, that he be with out wem, and that he borun of a womman appere iust?
What is a mortal, that he should be pure? or that righteous should be one born of a woman?
15 Lo! noon among hise seyntis is vnchaungable, and heuenes ben not cleene in his siyt.
Lo! in his holy ones, he putteth not confidence, and, the heavens, are not pure in his eyes:
16 How myche more a man abhomynable and vnprofitable, that drynkith wickidnesse as water?
How much less when one is detested and corrupt, a man who drinketh in—like water—perversity.
17 I schal schewe to thee, here thou me; Y schal telle to thee that, that Y siy.
I will tell thee—hear me, Since this I have seen, I must needs declare it.
18 Wise men knoulechen, and hiden not her fadris.
Which, wise men, tell, and deny not [that which is] from their fathers.
19 To whiche aloone the erthe is youun, and an alien schal not passe bi hem.
To them alone, was the earth given, and no alien passed through 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 lawless man, he, doth writhe with pain, and, the number of years, is hidden from the tyrant;
21 The sown of drede is euere in hise eeris, and whanne pees is, he supposith euere tresouns.
A noise of dreadful things, is in his ears, In prosperity, the destroyer cometh upon him;
22 He bileueth not that he may turne ayen fro derknessis to liyt; and biholdith aboute on ech side a swerd.
He hath no confidence to come back out of darkness, he, being destined to the power oft the sword;
23 Whanne he stirith hym to seke breed, he woot, that the dai of derknessis is maad redi in his hond.
A wanderer, he, for bread, [saying] Where [is it]? He knoweth that, prepared by his own hand, is the day of darkness;
24 Tribulacioun schal make hym aferd, and angwisch schal cumpas hym, as a kyng which is maad redi to batel.
Distress and anguish shall startle him, It shall overpower him, like a king ready for the onset:
25 For he helde forth his hond ayens God, and he was maad strong ayens Almyyti God.
Because he had stretched out—against GOD—his hand, and, against the Almighty, had been wont to behave himself proudly;
26 He ran with neck reisid ayens God, and he was armed with fat nol.
He used to run against him with uplifted neck, with the stout bosses of his bucklers;
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 had covered his face with his fatness, and had gathered a superabundance on his loins;
28 He schal dwelle in desolat citees, and in deseert, `ethir forsakun, housis, that ben turned in to biriels.
And had inhabited demolished cities, houses, wherein men would not dwell, that were destined 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 shall not be rich, nor shall his substance continue, neither shall their shadow stretch along on 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, his young branch, shall the flame dry up, and he shall depart, by the breath of his own mouth!
31 Bileue he not veynli disseyued bi errour, that he schal be ayenbouyt bi ony prijs.
Let no one trust in him that—by vanity—is deceived, for, vanity, shall be his recompense;
32 Bifor that hise daies ben fillid, he schal perische, and hise hondis schulen wexe drye;
Before his day, shall it be accomplished, with, his palm-top, not covered with leaves;
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 wrong—like a vine—his sour grapes, and shall cast off—as an olive-tree—his blossom.
34 For the gaderyng togidere of an ipocrite is bareyn, and fier schal deuoure the tabernaclis of hem, that taken yiftis wilfuli.
For, the family of the impious, is unfruitful, and, a fire, hath devoured the tents of bribery;
35 He conseyuede sorewe, and childide wickidnesse, and his wombe makith redi tretcheries.
Conceiving mischief, and bringing forth iniquity, yea, their inmost soul, prepareth deceit.
