Job 19
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Hou long turmente ye my soule,
Bvt Iob answered, and said,
2 and al to-breken me with wordis?
Howe long will yee vexe my soule, and torment me with wordes?
3 Lo! ten sithis ye schenden me, and ye ben not aschamed, oppressynge me.
Ye haue now ten times reproched me, and are not ashamed: ye are impudent toward mee.
4 Forsothe and if Y `koude not, myn vnkynnyng schal be with me.
And though I had in deede erred, mine errour remaineth with me.
5 And ye ben reisid ayens me, and repreuen me with my schenschipis.
But in deede if ye will aduance your selues against me, and rebuke me for my reproche,
6 Nameli now vndurstonde ye, that God hath turmentid me not bi euene doom, and hath cumpassid me with hise betyngis.
Know nowe, that God hath ouerthrowen me, and hath compassed 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.
Beholde, I crie out of violence, but I haue none answere: I crie, but there is no iudgement.
8 He bisette aboute my path, and Y may not go; and he settide derknessis in my weie.
Hee hath hedged vp my way that I cannot passe, and he hath set darkenesse in my paths.
9 He hath spuylid me of my glorye, and hath take awey the coroun fro myn heed.
Hee hath spoyled mee of mine honour, and taken the crowne away from mine 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 hath destroyed mee on euery side and I am gone: and he hath remoued mine hope like a tree.
11 His stronge veniaunce was wrooth ayens me; and he hadde me so as his enemye.
And he hath kindled his wrath against me, and counteth mee as one of his enemies.
12 Hise theues camen togidere, and `maden to hem a wei bi me; and bisegiden my tabernacle in cumpas.
His armies came together, and made their way vpon me, and camped about my tabernacle.
13 He made fer my britheren fro me; and my knowun as aliens yeden awei fro me.
He hath remooued my brethre farre from me, and also mine acquaintance were strangers vnto me.
14 My neiyboris forsoken me; and thei that knewen me han foryete me.
My neighbours haue forsaken me, and my familiars haue 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.
They that dwel in mine house, and my maydes tooke me for a stranger: for I was a stranger in their sight.
16 Y clepide my seruaunt, and he answeride not to me; with myn owne mouth Y preiede hym.
I called my seruant, but he would not answere, though I prayed him with my mouth.
17 My wijf wlatide my breeth; and Y preiede the sones of my wombe.
My breath was strange vnto my wife, though I prayed her for the childrens sake of mine owne body.
18 Also foolis dispisiden me; and whanne Y was goon awei fro hem, thei bacbitiden me.
The wicked also despised mee, and when I rose, they spake 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 secret friends abhorred me, and they whome I loued, are turned against me.
20 Whanne fleischis weren wastid, my boon cleuyde to my skyn; and `oneli lippis ben left aboute my teeth.
My bone cleaueth to my skinne and to my flesh, and I haue escaped with the skinne 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.
Haue pitie vpon me: haue pitie vpon me, (O yee my friendes) for the hande of God hath touched me.
22 Whi pursuen ye me, as God pursueth; and ben fillid with my fleischis?
Why do ye 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 wordes were nowe written! oh that they were written euen in a booke,
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?
And grauen with an yron pen in lead, or in stone for euer!
25 For Y woot, that myn ayenbiere lyueth, and in the laste dai Y schal rise fro the erthe;
For I am sure, that my Redeemer liueth, and he shall stand the last on the earth.
26 and eft Y schal be cumpassid with my skyn, and in my fleisch Y schal se God, my sauyour.
And though after my skin wormes destroy this bodie, yet shall I 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.
Whome I my selfe shall see, and mine eyes shall beholde, and none other for me, though my reynes are consumed within me.
28 Whi therfor seien ye now, Pursue we hym, and fynde we the roote of a word ayens hym?
But yee sayde, Why is hee persecuted? And there was a deepe matter 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 ye afraide of the sworde: for the sworde will be auenged of wickednesse, that yee may knowe that there is a iudgement.
