Job 16
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis;
And Job made answer and said,
2 alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris.
Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.
3 Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?
May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?
4 Also Y myyte speke thingis lijk to you, and `Y wolde, that youre soule were for my soule; and Y wolde coumfort you by wordis, and Y wolde moue myn heed on you;
It would not be hard for me to say such things if your souls were in my soul's place; joining words together against you, and shaking my head at you:
5 Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you.
I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.
6 But what schal Y do? If Y speke, my sorewe restith not; and if Y am stille, it goith not awei fro me.
If I say what is in my mind, my pain becomes no less: and if I keep quiet, how much of it goes from me?
7 But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt.
But now he has overcome me with weariness and fear, and I am in the grip of all my trouble.
8 My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me.
It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.
9 He gaderide togidere his woodnesse in me, and he manaasside me, and gnastide ayens me with his teeth; myn enemye bihelde me with ferdful iyen.
I am broken by his wrath, and his hate has gone after me; he has made his teeth sharp against me: my haters are looking on me with cruel eyes;
10 Thei openyden her mouthis on me, and thei seiden schenschip, and smytiden my cheke; and thei ben fillid with my peynes.
Their mouths are open wide against me; the blows of his bitter words are falling on my face; all of them come together in a mass against me.
11 God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men.
God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.
12 Y thilke riche man and famouse sum tyme, am al to brokun sudeynli; `he helde my nol; he hath broke me, and hath set me as in to a signe.
I was in comfort, but I have been broken up by his hands; he has taken me by the neck, shaking me to bits; he has put me up as a mark for his arrows.
13 He hath cumpasside me with hise speris, he woundide togidere my leendis; he sparide not, and schedde out myn entrails in to the erthe.
His bowmen come round about me; their arrows go through my body without mercy; my life is drained out on the earth.
14 He beet me with wounde on wounde; he as a giaunt felde in on me.
I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.
15 Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische.
I have made haircloth the clothing of my skin, and my horn is rolled in the dust.
16 My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke.
My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;
17 Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God.
Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.
18 Erthe, hile thou not my blood, and my cry fynde not in thee a place of hidyng.
O earth, let not my blood be covered, and let my cry have no resting-place!
19 `For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places.
Even now my witness is in heaven, and the supporter of my cause is on high.
20 A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God.
My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,
21 And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe.
So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.
22 `For lo! schorte yeeris passen, and Y go a path, bi which Y schal not turne ayen.
For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.
