Job 21
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide,
Then Job answered:
2 Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce.
“Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me.
3 Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi.
Bear with me while I speak; then, after I have spoken, you may go on mocking.
4 Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori?
Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient?
5 Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth.
Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth.
6 And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch.
When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror.
7 Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis.
Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?
8 Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt.
Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes.
9 Her housis ben sikur, and pesible; and the yerde of God is not on hem.
Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them.
10 The cow of hem conseyuede, and caluede not a deed calf; the cow caluyde, and is not priued of hir calf.
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.
11 Her litle children goen out as flockis; and her yonge children `maken fulli ioye with pleies.
They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,
12 Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun.
singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.
They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace. (Sheol h7585)
14 Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies.
Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.
15 Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him?
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’
16 Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me.
Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
17 Hou ofte schal the lanterne of wickid men be quenchid, and flowing schal come on hem, and God schal departe the sorewis of his stronge veniaunce?
How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction?
18 Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood.
Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?
19 God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite.
It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it.
20 Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God.
Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty.
21 For whi what perteyneth it to hym of his hows aftir hym, thouy the noumbre of his monethis be half takun awey?
For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?
22 Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye?
Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?
23 This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie.
One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease.
24 Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis.
His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.
25 Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis.
Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity.
26 And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem.
But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both.
27 Certis Y knowe youre wickid thouytis, and sentensis ayens me.
Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28 For ye seien, Where is the hows of the prince? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men?
For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’
29 Axe ye ech of `the weie goeris; and ye schulen knowe, that he vndurstondith these same thingis,
Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports?
30 that an yuel man schal be kept in to the dai of perdicioun, and schal be led to the dai of woodnesse.
Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath.
31 Who schal repreue hise weies bifor hym? and who schal yelde to hym tho thingis, whiche he hath doon?
Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?
32 He schal be led to the sepulcris; and he schal wake in the heep of deed men.
He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.
33 He was swete to the `stoonys, ether filthis, of helle; and drawith ech man aftir hym, and vnnoumbrable men bifor him.
The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number.
34 Hou therfor coumforten ye me in veyn, sithen youre answeris ben schewid to `repugne to treuthe?
So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
