Job 19
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Hou long turmente ye my soule,
But Job answered and said:
2 and al to-breken me with wordis?
How long will ye vex my soul, And break me in pieces with words?
3 Lo! ten sithis ye schenden me, and ye ben not aschamed, oppressynge me.
These ten times have ye reviled me; Without shame do ye stun me!
4 Forsothe and if Y `koude not, myn vnkynnyng schal be with me.
And be it, indeed, that I have erred, My error abideth with myself.
5 And ye ben reisid ayens me, and repreuen me with my schenschipis.
Since, indeed, ye 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 then that it is God who hath brought me low; He hath encompassed 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 complain of wrong, but receive no answer; I cry aloud, but obtain no justice.
8 He bisette aboute my path, and Y may not go; and he settide derknessis in my weie.
He hath fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths.
9 He hath spuylid me of my glorye, and hath take awey the coroun fro myn heed.
He hath 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 hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone! He hath torn up my hope like a tree.
11 His stronge veniaunce was wrooth ayens me; and he hadde me so as his enemye.
He kindleth his anger against me, And counteth me as his enemy.
12 Hise theues camen togidere, and `maden to hem a wei bi me; and bisegiden my tabernacle in cumpas.
His troops advance together against me; They throw up for themselves a way to me, And encamp around my dwelling.
13 He made fer my britheren fro me; and my knowun as aliens yeden awei fro me.
My brethren he hath put far from me, And my acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.
14 My neiyboris forsoken me; and thei that knewen me han foryete me.
My kinsfolk have forsaken me, And my bosom 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.
The foreigners of my house, yea, my own maid-servants, regard me as a stranger; I am an alien in their eyes.
16 Y clepide my seruaunt, and he answeride not to me; with myn owne mouth Y preiede hym.
I call my servant, and he maketh no answer; With my own mouth do I entreat him.
17 My wijf wlatide my breeth; and Y preiede the sones of my wombe.
My breath is become strange to my wife, And my prayers also to my own mother's sons.
18 Also foolis dispisiden me; and whanne Y was goon awei fro hem, thei bacbitiden me.
Even young children despise me; When I rise up, 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 bosom friends abhor me, And they whom I loved are turned against me.
20 Whanne fleischis weren wastid, my boon cleuyde to my skyn; and `oneli lippis ben left aboute my teeth.
My bones cleave to my flesh and my skin, And I have scarcely escaped with 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 upon me, O ye my friends! have pity upon me; For the hand of God hath smitten me!
22 Whi pursuen ye me, as God pursueth; and ben fillid with my fleischis?
Why do ye persecute me like God, And are not satisfied with my flesh?
23 Who yyueth to me, that my wordis be writun? Who yyueth to me,
O that my words were now written! O that they were marked down in a scroll!
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 with lead, They were engraven upon the rock for ever!
25 For Y woot, that myn ayenbiere lyueth, and in the laste dai Y schal rise fro the erthe;
Yet I know that my Vindicator liveth, And will hereafter stand up 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 with my skin this body be wasted away, Yet without my flesh shall I see 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.
Yea, I shall see him my friend; My eyes shall behold him, and not another: For this, my soul panteth within me.
28 Whi therfor seien ye now, Pursue we hym, and fynde we the roote of a word ayens hym?
Since ye say, “How may we persecute him, And find grounds of accusation against him?”
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 afraid of the sword! For malice is a crime for the sword; That ye may know that judgment cometh.
