Job 16
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis;
And Job answered and said,
2 alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris.
I have heard many such things: grievous comforters are ye all.
3 Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?
Shall words of wind have an end? or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
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 could speak as ye: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could join together words against you, and shake my head at you;
5 Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you.
[But] I would encourage you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips should assuage [your pain].
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 speak, my pain is not assuaged; and if I forbear, what am I eased?
7 But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt.
But now he hath made me weary; ...thou hast made desolate all my family;
8 My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me.
Thou hast shrivelled me up! it is become a witness; and my leanness riseth up against me, it beareth witness 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.
His anger teareth and pursueth me; he gnasheth with his teeth against me; [as] mine adversary he sharpeneth his eyes at me.
10 Thei openyden her mouthis on me, and thei seiden schenschip, and smytiden my cheke; and thei ben fillid with my peynes.
They gape upon me with their mouth; they smite my cheeks reproachfully; they range themselves together against me.
11 God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men.
God hath delivered me over to the iniquitous man, and hurled me into the hands of the wicked.
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 at rest, but he hath shattered me; he hath taken me by the neck and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his 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.
His arrows encompass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 He beet me with wounde on wounde; he as a giaunt felde in on me.
He breaketh me with breach upon breach; he runneth upon me like a mighty man.
15 Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische.
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and rolled my horn in the dust.
16 My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke.
My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God.
Although there is no violence 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.
O earth, cover not my blood, and let there be no place for my cry!
19 `For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places.
Even now, behold, my Witness is in the heavens, and he that voucheth for me is in the heights.
20 A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God.
My friends are my mockers; mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
21 And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe.
Oh that there were arbitration for a man with God, as a son of man for his friend!
22 `For lo! schorte yeeris passen, and Y go a path, bi which Y schal not turne ayen.
For years [few] in number shall pass, — and I shall go the way [whence] I shall not return.
