Job 19
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Hou long turmente ye my soule,
Then answered Job, and said,
2 and al to-breken me with wordis?
How long will ye grieve my soul, and crush me with words?
3 Lo! ten sithis ye schenden me, and ye ben not aschamed, oppressynge me.
These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed when ye show yourselves as strangers to me.
4 Forsothe and if Y `koude not, myn vnkynnyng schal be with me.
Yea, if it be indeed that I have erred, let my error remain with myself.
5 And ye ben reisid ayens me, and repreuen me with my schenschipis.
But if indeed ye wish to magnify yourselves above me, and to prove against me my disgrace:
6 Nameli now vndurstonde ye, that God hath turmentid me not bi euene doom, and hath cumpassid me with hise betyngis.
Then know for certain that God hath bent me down, and hath laid his net all around me.
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 concerning the violence [done me], but I am not answered: I entreat aloud, but there is no justice.
8 He bisette aboute my path, and Y may not go; and he settide derknessis in my weie.
My road hath he fenced up, so that I cannot pass out; and on my paths he placeth darkness.
9 He hath spuylid me of my glorye, and hath take awey the coroun fro myn heed.
My glory hath he stripped from me, and removed the crown of 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 hath pulled me down on every side, and I am going hence; and he hath rooted up like a tree my hope.
11 His stronge veniaunce was wrooth ayens me; and he hadde me so as his enemye.
He hath also kindled against me his wrath, and he counteth me with himself as one of his adversaries.
12 Hise theues camen togidere, and `maden to hem a wei bi me; and bisegiden my tabernacle in cumpas.
Altogether come on his troops, and make level against me their way, and encamp round about my tent.
13 He made fer my britheren fro me; and my knowun as aliens yeden awei fro me.
My brothers hath he removed far from me, and my acquaintance are entirely estranged from me.
14 My neiyboris forsoken me; and thei that knewen me han foryete me.
My near of kin have withdrawn, and those befriended by me have forgotten me.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.
Ye that sojourn in my house, and my maid-servants, regard me as a stranger: an alien am I become in their eyes.
16 Y clepide my seruaunt, and he answeride not to me; with myn owne mouth Y preiede hym.
I call for my servant, but he will not answer, though I were to entreat him with my mouth.
17 My wijf wlatide my breeth; and Y preiede the sones of my wombe.
My breath is become nauseous to my wife, and my caressing, to the children of my own body.
18 Also foolis dispisiden me; and whanne Y was goon awei fro hem, thei bacbitiden me.
Yea, children even despise me: I rise up, but 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 that have had my confidence abominate me; and those whom I have loved are turned against me.
20 Whanne fleischis weren wastid, my boon cleuyde to my skyn; and `oneli lippis ben left aboute my teeth.
To my skin and to my flesh my bones do cleave, and I must sustain myself with the gums 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.
Spare me, spare me, O ye, my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
22 Whi pursuen ye me, as God pursueth; and ben fillid with my fleischis?
Why will ye persecute me as God [hath done], and will never be satisfied with my flesh?
23 Who yyueth to me, that my wordis be writun? Who yyueth to me,
Oh who would but grant, that my words might be written down! oh who would grant that they were entered 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 they were hewn with an iron pen and [blackened with] lead for eternity in the hard rock!
25 For Y woot, that myn ayenbiere lyueth, and in the laste dai Y schal rise fro the erthe;
And well I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he will remain as the last after the creatures of the dust [are passed away];
26 and eft Y schal be cumpassid with my skyn, and in my fleisch Y schal se God, my sauyour.
And after my skin is cut to pieces will this be: and then freed from my body shall I behold God;
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 shall myself behold to my happiness, and whom my eyes will see, and not as a stranger, [when even] my reins are consumed within my bosom.
28 Whi therfor seien ye now, Pursue we hym, and fynde we the roote of a word ayens hym?
But if ye should say, How will we pursue him? seeing 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.
Then have dread for yourselves of the sword; for the wrath [which ye excite] is an iniquity that bringeth the sword; in order that ye may know there is one that judgeth [in the world].
