Job 15
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 Whether a wise man schal answere, as spekynge ayens the wynd, and schal fille his stomac with brennyng, `that is, ire?
Doth a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill [with] an east wind his belly?
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.
Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.
5 For wickidnesse hath tauyt thi mouth, and thou suest the tunge of blasfemeris.
For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.
6 Thi tunge, and not Y, schal condempne thee, and thi lippis schulen answere thee.
Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.
7 Whether thou art borun the firste man, and art formed bifor alle little hillis?
The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?
8 Whether thou herdist the counsel of God, and his wisdom is lower than thou?
Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?
9 What thing knowist thou, whiche we knowen not? What thing vndurstondist thou, whiche we witen not?
What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou — 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 thy father [in] days.
11 Whether it is greet, that God coumforte thee? But thi schrewid wordis forbeden this.
Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word [is] with thee,
12 What reisith thin herte thee, and thou as thenkynge grete thingis hast iyen astonyed?
What — doth thine heart take thee away? And what — are thine eyes high?
13 What bolneth thi spirit ayens God, that thou brynge forth of thi mouth siche wordis?
For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from 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 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.
Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, 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 as water perverseness.
17 I schal schewe to thee, here thou me; Y schal telle to thee that, that Y siy.
I shew thee — hearken 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 passed not 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 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 doth a destroyer come to him.
22 He bileueth not that he may turne ayen fro derknessis to liyt; and biholdith aboute on ech side a swerd.
He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched [is] he 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 hath 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.
Terrify him do adversity and distress, 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 against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.
26 He ran with neck reisid ayens God, and he was armed with fat nol.
He runneth unto 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 hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over [his] confidence.
28 He schal dwelle in desolat citees, and in deseert, `ethir forsakun, housis, that ben turned in to biriels.
And he inhabiteth 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 doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.
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 turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth aside at the breath of His mouth!
31 Bileue he not veynli disseyued bi errour, that he schal be ayenbouyt bi ony prijs.
Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.
32 Bifor that hise daies ben fillid, he schal perische, and hise hondis schulen wexe drye;
Not in his day is it completed, 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 shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive 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 company of the profane [is] gloomy, And fire hath 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 doth prepare deceit.
