Job 17
1 Mi spirit schal be maad feble; my daies schulen be maad schort, and oneli the sepulcre is left to me.
My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave is ready for me.
2 Y have not synned, and myn iye dwellith in bittirnessis.
Yet truly those that mock are with me, and on their offendings must my eye rest.
3 Lord, delyuere thou me, and sette thou me bisidis thee; and the hond of ech fiyte ayens me.
And thou, [Creator!] attend, I pray thee, be my surety with thyself: who else is there that would strike hands with me?
4 Thou hast maad the herte of hem fer fro doctryn, `ethir knowyng of treuthe; therfor thei schulen not be enhaunsid.
For thou hast concealed their heart against intelligence: therefore art thou not exalted [through them].
5 He bihetith prey to felowis, and the iyen of hise sones schulen faile.
Every one of them speaketh deceptively to his friends: may also the eyes of his children fail.
6 He hath set as in to a prouerbe of the comyn puple, and his saumple bifor hem.
And he hath placed me here as a by-word unto nations; and I become openly as a place of abomination.
7 Myn `iye dasewide at indignacioun; and my membris ben dryuun as in to nouyt.
Therefore is my eye dim from vexation, and my limbs are all of them like a shadow.
8 Iust men schulen wondre on this thing; and an innocent schal be reisid ayens an ypocrite.
Upright men must be astonished at this, and the innocent must arouse himself against the hypocrite.
9 And a iust man schal holde his weie, and he schal adde strengthe to clene hondis.
Yet will the righteous hold firmly on to his way; and he that is clean of hands will acquire additional strength.
10 Therfor alle `ye be conuertid, and come ye; and Y schal not fynde in you ony wiys man.
But all of you, do only return, and come but [to me]: and yet I shall not find among you one wise man.
11 My daies ben passid; my thouytis ben scaterid, turmentynge myn herte.
My days are past, my resolves are broken off, [even the thoughts]—the possessions of my heart.
12 Tho han turned the nyyt `in to day; and eft aftir derknessis hope liyt.
These would change the night into day, the light as near in the presence of darkness.—
13 If Y `susteyne, ether suffre pacientli, helle is myn hous; and Y haue arayede my bed in derknessis. (Sheol h7585)
When I hope for the nether world as my house; in the darkness have I spread my couch; (Sheol h7585)
14 Y seide to rot, Thou art my fadur; and to wormes, Ye ben my modir and my sister.
When I call to corruption, Thou art my father: Thou art my mother, and my sister, to the worms.
15 Therfor where is now myn abidyng? and who biholdith my pacience?
Ay, where is then my hope? as for my hope, who will see it [fulfilled]?
