Job 16
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis;
But Job answered and said,
2 alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris.
I have heard many such things: poor comforters are you all.
3 Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?
What! is there any reason in vain words? or what will hinder you from answering?
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;
I also will speak as you [do]: if indeed your soul were in my [soul's] stead, then would I insult you with words, and I would shake my head at you.
5 Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you.
And would there were strength in my mouth, and I would not spare the movement 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.
For if I should speak, I shall not feel the pain of my wound: and if I should be silent, how shall I be wounded the less?
7 But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt.
But now he has made me weary, and a worn-out fool; and you have laid hold of me.
8 My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me.
My falsehood has become a testimony, and has risen up against me: it has confronted me 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.
In his anger he has cast me down; he has gnashed his teeth upon me: the weapons of his robbers have fallen upon me.
10 Thei openyden her mouthis on me, and thei seiden schenschip, and smytiden my cheke; and thei ben fillid with my peynes.
He has attacked me with the keen glances of his eyes; with his sharp [spear] he has struck me [down] upon my knees; and they have run upon me with one accord.
11 God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men.
For the Lord has delivered me into the hands of unrighteous men, and thrown me upon the ungodly.
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.
When I was at peace he distracted me: he took me by the hair of the head, and plucked it out: he set me up as a mark.
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.
They surrounded me with spears, aiming at my reins: without sparing [me] they poured out my gall upon the ground.
14 He beet me with wounde on wounde; he as a giaunt felde in on me.
They overthrew me with fall upon fall: they ran upon me in [their] might.
15 Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische.
They sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and my strength has been spent on the ground.
16 My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke.
My belly has been parched with wailing, and darkness is on my eyelids.
17 Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God.
Yet there was no injustice in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
18 Erthe, hile thou not my blood, and my cry fynde not in thee a place of hidyng.
Earth, cover not over the blood of my flesh, and let my cry have no place.
19 `For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places.
And now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.
20 A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God.
Let my supplication come to the Lord, and let mine eye weep before him.
21 And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe.
Oh that a man might plead before the Lord, even [as] the son of man with his neighbour!
22 `For lo! schorte yeeris passen, and Y go a path, bi which Y schal not turne ayen.
But my years are numbered and [their end] come, and I shall go by the way by which I shall not return.
