Job 20
1 Forsothe Sophar Naamathites answeride, and seide,
And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 Therfor my thouytis dyuerse comen oon aftir anothir; and the mynde is rauyischid in to dyuerse thingis.
Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and for this is my haste within me.
3 Y schal here the techyng, bi which thou repreuest me; and the spirit of myn vndurstondyng schal answere me.
I hear a reproof putting me to shame; and [my] spirit answereth me by mine understanding.
4 Y woot this fro the bigynnyng, sithen man was set on erthe,
Knowest thou [not] this, that of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5 that the preisyng of wickid men is schort, and the ioie of an ypocrite is at the licnesse of a poynt.
The exultation of the wicked is short, and the joy of the ungodly man but for a moment?
6 Thouy his pride `stieth in to heuene, and his heed touchith the cloudis,
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds,
7 he schal be lost in the ende, as a dunghil; and, thei that sien hym, schulen seie, Where is he?
Like his own dung doth he perish for ever; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 As a dreem fleynge awei he schal not be foundun; he schal passe as `a nyytis siyt.
He flieth away as a dream, and is not found; and is chased away as a vision of the night.
9 The iye that siy hym schal not se; and his place schal no more biholde him.
The eye which saw him shall [see him] not again; and his place beholdeth him no more.
10 Hise sones schulen be `al to-brokun with nedynesse; and hise hondis schulen yelde to hym his sorewe.
His children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands restore his wealth.
11 Hise boonys schulen be fillid with the vices of his yong wexynge age; and schulen slepe with hym in dust.
His bones were full of his youthful strength; but it shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 For whanne yuel was swete in his mouth, he hidde it vndur his tunge.
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth [and] he hide it under his tongue,
13 He schal spare it, and schal not forsake it; and schal hide in his throte.
[Though] he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it within his mouth,
14 His breed in his wombe schal be turned in to galle of snakis withynne.
His food is turned in his bowels; it is the gall of asps within him.
15 He schal spue out the richessis, whiche he deuouride; and God schal drawe tho ritchessis out of his wombe.
He hath swallowed down riches, but he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
16 He schal souke the heed of snakis; and the tunge of an addre schal sle hym.
He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall kill him.
17 Se he not the stremys of the flood of the stronde, of hony, and of botere.
He shall not see streams, rivers, brooks of honey and butter.
18 He schal suffre peyne for alle thingis whiche he hath do, netheles he schal not be wastid; aftir the multitude of his fyndyngis, so and `he schal suffre.
That which he laboured for shall he restore, and not swallow down; its restitution shall be according to the value, and he shall not rejoice [therein].
19 For he brake, and made nakid the hows of a pore man; he rauyschide, and bildide it not.
For he hath oppressed, hath forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away a house that he did not build.
20 And his wombe was not fillid; and whanne he hath that, that he couetide, he may not holde in possessioun.
Because he knew no rest in his craving, he shall save nought of what he most desired.
21 `No thing lefte of his mete; and therfor no thing schal dwelle of his goodis.
Nothing escaped his greediness; therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 Whanne he is fillid, he schal be maad streit; he schal `be hoot, and alle sorewe schal falle in on hym.
In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; every hand of the wretched shall come upon him.
23 `Y wolde, that his wombe be fillid, that he sende out in to hym the ire of his strong veniaunce, and reyne his batel on hym.
It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will cast his fierce anger upon him, and will rain it upon him into his flesh.
24 He schal fle yrun armuris, and he schal falle in to a brasun boowe.
If he have fled from the iron weapon, the bow of brass shall strike him through.
25 Led out, and goynge out `of his schethe, and schynynge, `ether smytinge with leit, `in to his bittirnesse; orrible fendis schulen go, and schulen come on hym.
He draweth it forth; it cometh out of his body, and the glittering point out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26 Alle derknessis ben hid in hise priuytees; fier, which is not teendid, schal deuoure hym; he schal be turmentid left in his tabernacle.
All darkness is laid up for his treasures: a fire not blown shall devour him; it shall feed upon what is left in his tent.
27 Heuenes schulen schewe his wickidnesse; and erthe schal rise togidere ayens hym.
The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The seed of his hows schal be opyn; it schal be drawun doun in the dai of the strong veniaunce of the Lord.
The increase of his house shall depart, flowing away in the day of his anger.
29 This is the part of a wickid man, `which part is youun of God, and the eritage of hise wordis of the Lord.
This is the portion of the wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed to him by God.
