Job 20

1 Forsothe Sophar Naamathites answeride, and seide,

2 Therfor my thouytis dyuerse comen oon aftir anothir; and the mynde is rauyischid in to dyuerse thingis.

3 Y schal here the techyng, bi which thou repreuest me; and the spirit of myn vndurstondyng schal answere me.

4 Y woot this fro the bigynnyng, sithen man was set on erthe,

5 that the preisyng of wickid men is schort, and the ioie of an ypocrite is at the licnesse of a poynt.

6 Thouy his pride `stieth in to heuene, and his heed touchith the cloudis,

7 he schal be lost in the ende, as a dunghil; and, thei that sien hym, schulen seie, Where is he?

8 As a dreem fleynge awei he schal not be foundun; he schal passe as `a nyytis siyt.

9 The iye that siy hym schal not se; and his place schal no more biholde him.

10 Hise sones schulen be `al to-brokun with nedynesse; and hise hondis schulen yelde to hym his sorewe.

11 Hise boonys schulen be fillid with the vices of his yong wexynge age; and schulen slepe with hym in dust.

12 For whanne yuel was swete in his mouth, he hidde it vndur his tunge.

13 He schal spare it, and schal not forsake it; and schal hide in his throte.

14 His breed in his wombe schal be turned in to galle of snakis withynne.

15 He schal spue out the richessis, whiche he deuouride; and God schal drawe tho ritchessis out of his wombe.

16 He schal souke the heed of snakis; and the tunge of an addre schal sle hym.

17 Se he not the stremys of the flood of the stronde, of hony, and of botere.

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.

19 For he brake, and made nakid the hows of a pore man; he rauyschide, and bildide it not.

20 And his wombe was not fillid; and whanne he hath that, that he couetide, he may not holde in possessioun.

21 `No thing lefte of his mete; and therfor no thing schal dwelle of his goodis.

22 Whanne he is fillid, he schal be maad streit; he schal `be hoot, and alle sorewe schal falle in on hym.

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.

24 He schal fle yrun armuris, and he schal falle in to a brasun boowe.

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.

26 Alle derknessis ben hid in hise priuytees; fier, which is not teendid, schal deuoure hym; he schal be turmentid left in his tabernacle.

27 Heuenes schulen schewe his wickidnesse; and erthe schal rise togidere ayens hym.

28 The seed of his hows schal be opyn; it schal be drawun doun in the dai of the strong veniaunce of the Lord.

29 This is the part of a wickid man, `which part is youun of God, and the eritage of hise wordis of the Lord.