Job 16
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis;
But Job answered and said:
2 alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris.
Of such things as these I have heard enough! Miserable comforters are ye all!
3 Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?
Will there ever be an end to words of wind? What stirreth thee up, 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 might speak like you, If ye were now in my place; I might string 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.
I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the consolation of my lips should sustain you.
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 grief is not assuaged; And if I forbear, it doth not leave me.
7 But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt.
For now He hath quite exhausted me; Thou hast desolated all my house!
8 My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me.
Thou hast seized hold of me, and this is a witness against me; My leanness riseth up and testifieth against 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.
His anger teareth my flesh, and pursueth me; He gnasheth upon me with his teeth; My adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon 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 for me with their mouths; In scorn they smite me on the cheek; With one consent they assemble against me.
11 God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men.
God hath given me a prey to the unrighteous, And delivered 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 ease, but he hath crushed me; He hath seized me by the neck, and dashed me in pieces; He hath 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 archers encompass me around; He pierceth my reins, 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 rusheth upon me like a warrior.
15 Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische.
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, And thrust my horn into the dust.
16 My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke.
My face is red with weeping, And upon my eyelids is deathlike darkness.
17 Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God.
Yet is there no injustice in my bands. And my prayer hath been pure.
18 Erthe, hile thou not my blood, and my cry fynde not in thee a place of hidyng.
O earth! cover not thou my blood, And let there be no hiding-place for my cry!
19 `For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places.
Yet even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And he who knoweth me is on high.
20 A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God.
My friends have me in derision, But my 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.
O that one might contend for a man with God, As a man contendeth with his neighbor!
22 `For lo! schorte yeeris passen, and Y go a path, bi which Y schal not turne ayen.
For when a few years shall have passed, I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
