Job 19
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Hou long turmente ye my soule,
Then Job answered,
2 and al to-breken me with wordis?
“How long will you torment me, and crush me with words?
3 Lo! ten sithis ye schenden me, and ye ben not aschamed, oppressynge me.
You have reproached me ten times. You are not ashamed that you attack me.
4 Forsothe and if Y `koude not, myn vnkynnyng schal be with me.
If it is true that I have erred, my error remains with myself.
5 And ye ben reisid ayens me, and repreuen me with my schenschipis.
If indeed you will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach,
6 Nameli now vndurstonde ye, that God hath turmentid me not bi euene doom, and hath cumpassid me with hise betyngis.
know now that God has subverted me, and has surrounded me with his net.
7 Lo! Y suffrynge violence schal crye, and no man schal here; Y schal crye loude, and `noon is that demeth.
“Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry for help, but there is no justice.
8 He bisette aboute my path, and Y may not go; and he settide derknessis in my weie.
He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, and has set darkness in my paths.
9 He hath spuylid me of my glorye, and hath take awey the coroun fro myn heed.
He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.
10 He hath distried me on ech side, and Y perischide; and he hath take awei myn hope, as fro a tre pullid vp bi the roote.
He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone. He has plucked my hope up like a tree.
11 His stronge veniaunce was wrooth ayens me; and he hadde me so as his enemye.
He has also kindled his wrath against me. He counts me among his adversaries.
12 Hise theues camen togidere, and `maden to hem a wei bi me; and bisegiden my tabernacle in cumpas.
His troops come on together, build a siege ramp against me, and encamp around my tent.
13 He made fer my britheren fro me; and my knowun as aliens yeden awei fro me.
“He has put my brothers far from me. My acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.
14 My neiyboris forsoken me; and thei that knewen me han foryete me.
My relatives have gone away. My familiar friends have forgotten me.
15 The tenauntis of myn hows, and myn handmaydis hadden me as a straunger; and Y was as a pilgrym bifor her iyen.
Those who dwell in my house and my maids consider me a stranger. I am an alien in their sight.
16 Y clepide my seruaunt, and he answeride not to me; with myn owne mouth Y preiede hym.
I call to my servant, and he gives me no answer. I beg him with my mouth.
17 My wijf wlatide my breeth; and Y preiede the sones of my wombe.
My breath is offensive to my wife. I am loathsome to the children of my own mother.
18 Also foolis dispisiden me; and whanne Y was goon awei fro hem, thei bacbitiden me.
Even young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me.
19 Thei, that weren my counselouris sum tyme, hadden abhomynacioun of me; and he, whom Y louede moost, was aduersarie to me.
All my familiar friends abhor me. They whom I loved have turned against me.
20 Whanne fleischis weren wastid, my boon cleuyde to my skyn; and `oneli lippis ben left aboute my teeth.
My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
21 Haue ye merci on me, haue ye merci on me, nameli, ye my frendis; for the hond of the Lord hath touchid me.
“Have pity on me. Have pity on me, you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me.
22 Whi pursuen ye me, as God pursueth; and ben fillid with my fleischis?
Why do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?
23 Who yyueth to me, that my wordis be writun? Who yyueth to me,
“Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
24 that tho be writun in a book with an yrun poyntil, ethir with a plate of leed; ethir with a chisel be grauun in a flynt?
That with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!
25 For Y woot, that myn ayenbiere lyueth, and in the laste dai Y schal rise fro the erthe;
But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth.
26 and eft Y schal be cumpassid with my skyn, and in my fleisch Y schal se God, my sauyour.
After my skin is destroyed, then I will see God in my flesh,
27 Whom Y my silf schal se, and myn iyen schulen biholde, and not an other man. This myn hope is kept in my bosum.
whom I, even I, will see on my side. My eyes will see, and not as a stranger. “My heart is consumed within me.
28 Whi therfor seien ye now, Pursue we hym, and fynde we the roote of a word ayens hym?
If you say, ‘How we will persecute him!’ because the root of the matter is found in me,
29 Therfor fle ye fro the face of the swerd; for the swerd is the vengere of wickidnessis, and wite ye, that doom schal be.
be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment.”
