Job 16
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis;
And Job answers and says:
2 alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris.
“I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters [are] you all.
3 Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?
Is there an end to words of wind? Or what emboldens you that you answer?
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, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul’s stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.
5 Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you.
I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.
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 restrained, And I cease—what goes from me?
7 But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt.
Only, now, it has wearied me; You have desolated all my company,
8 My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me.
And You loathe me, For it has been a witness, And my failure rises up against me, It testifies in 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 has torn, and He hates me, He has gnashed at me with His teeth, My adversary sharpens His eyes for me.
10 Thei openyden her mouthis on me, and thei seiden schenschip, and smytiden my cheke; and thei ben fillid with my peynes.
They have gaped on me with their mouth, In reproach they have struck my cheeks, Together they set themselves against me.
11 God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men.
God shuts me up to the perverse, And turns me over to 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 have been at ease, and He breaks me, And He has laid hold on my neck, And He breaks me in pieces, And He raises me to Him for 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.
His archers go around against me. He split my reins, and does not spare, He pours out my gall to the earth.
14 He beet me with wounde on wounde; he as a giaunt felde in on me.
He breaks me—breach on breach, He runs on me as a mighty one.
15 Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische.
I have sewed sackcloth on my skin, And have rolled my horn in the dust.
16 My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke.
My face is foul with weeping, And on my eyelids [is] death-shade.
17 Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God.
Not for 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, do not cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.
19 `For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places.
Also, now, behold, my witness [is] in the heavens, And my testifier in the high places.
20 A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God.
My interpreter [is] my friend, My eye has dropped to God;
21 And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe.
And He reasons 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.
When a few years come, Then I go [on] the path of no return.”
