Job 19
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Hou long turmente ye my soule,
And Job answereth and saith: —
2 and al to-breken me with wordis?
Till when do ye afflict my soul, And bruise me with words?
3 Lo! ten sithis ye schenden me, and ye ben not aschamed, oppressynge me.
These ten times ye put me to shame, ye blush not. Ye make yourselves strange to me —
4 Forsothe and if Y `koude not, myn vnkynnyng schal be with me.
And also — truly, I have erred, With me doth my error remain.
5 And ye ben reisid ayens me, and repreuen me with my schenschipis.
If, truly, over me ye magnify yourselves, And decide 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 turned me upside down, And His net against me hath set round,
7 Lo! Y suffrynge violence schal crye, and no man schal here; Y schal crye loude, and `noon is that demeth.
Lo, I cry out — violence, and am not answered, I cry aloud, and there is no judgment.
8 He bisette aboute my path, and Y may not go; and he settide derknessis in my weie.
My way He hedged up, and I pass not over, And on my paths darkness He placeth.
9 He hath spuylid me of my glorye, and hath take awey the coroun fro myn heed.
Mine honour from off me He hath stripped, And He turneth 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 breaketh me down round about, and I go, And removeth like a tree my hope.
11 His stronge veniaunce was wrooth ayens me; and he hadde me so as his enemye.
And He kindleth against me His anger, And reckoneth me to Him as His adversaries.
12 Hise theues camen togidere, and `maden to hem a wei bi me; and bisegiden my tabernacle in cumpas.
Come in do His troops together, And they raise up 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 brethren from me He hath put far off, And mine acquaintances surely Have been estranged from me.
14 My neiyboris forsoken me; and thei that knewen me han foryete me.
Ceased have my neighbours And 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.
Sojourners of my house and my maids, For a stranger reckon me: An alien I have been in their eyes.
16 Y clepide my seruaunt, and he answeride not to me; with myn owne mouth Y preiede hym.
To my servant I have called, And he doth not answer, With my mouth I make supplication to him.
17 My wijf wlatide my breeth; and Y preiede the sones of my wombe.
My spirit is strange to my wife, And my favours to the sons of my [mother's] womb.
18 Also foolis dispisiden me; and whanne Y was goon awei fro hem, thei bacbitiden me.
Also sucklings have despised me, I rise, and 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.
Abominate me do all the men of my counsel, And those I have loved, Have been 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 Cleaved hath my bone, And I deliver myself 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.
Pity me, pity me, ye my friends, For the hand of God hath stricken against me.
22 Whi pursuen ye me, as God pursueth; and ben fillid with my fleischis?
Why do you pursue me as God? And with my flesh are not satisfied?
23 Who yyueth to me, that my wordis be writun? Who yyueth to me,
Who doth grant now, That my words may be written? Who doth grant that in a book they may be graven?
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?
With a pen of iron and lead — For ever in a rock they may be hewn.
25 For Y woot, that myn ayenbiere lyueth, and in the laste dai Y schal rise fro the erthe;
That — I have known my Redeemer, The Living and the Last, For the dust he doth rise.
26 and eft Y schal be cumpassid with my skyn, and in my fleisch Y schal se God, my sauyour.
And after my skin hath compassed this [body], Then from my flesh 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.
Whom I — I see on my side, And mine eyes have beheld, and not a stranger, Consumed have been my reins in my bosom.
28 Whi therfor seien ye now, Pursue we hym, and fynde we the roote of a word ayens hym?
But ye say, 'Why do we pursue after him?' And the root of the matter hath been 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 ye afraid because of the sword, For furious [are] the punishments of the sword, That ye may know that [there is] a judgment.
