Job 21
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide,
But Job answered and said,
2 Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce.
Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.
3 Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi.
Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.
4 Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori?
As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?
5 Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth.
Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.
6 And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch.
Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling takes hold on my flesh.
7 Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis.
Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?
8 Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt.
Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
9 Her housis ben sikur, and pesible; and the yerde of God is not on hem.
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God 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 bull genders, and fails not; their cow calves, and casts not her calf.
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, and their children dance.
12 Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun.
They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
14 Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies.
Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of your ways.
15 Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him?
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
16 Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me.
Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
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 candle of the wicked put out! and how often comes their destruction upon them! God distributes sorrows in his anger.
18 Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood.
They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carries away.
19 God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite.
God lays up his iniquity for his children: he rewards him, and he shall know it.
20 Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God.
His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of 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 pleasure has he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?
22 Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye?
Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judges those that are high.
23 This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie.
One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
24 Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis.
His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.
25 Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis.
And another dies in the bitterness of his soul, and never eats with pleasure.
26 And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem.
They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.
27 Certis Y knowe youre wickid thouytis, and sentensis ayens me.
Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which all of you wrongfully imagine against me.
28 For ye seien, Where is the hows of the prince? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men?
For all of you say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
29 Axe ye ech of `the weie goeris; and ye schulen knowe, that he vndurstondith these same thingis,
Have all of you not asked them that go by the way? and do all of you not know their tokens,
30 that an yuel man schal be kept in to the dai of perdicioun, and schal be led to the dai of woodnesse.
That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to 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 shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he has done?
32 He schal be led to the sepulcris; and he schal wake in the heep of deed men.
Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the 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 shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.
34 Hou therfor coumforten ye me in veyn, sithen youre answeris ben schewid to `repugne to treuthe?
How then comfort all of you me in vain, seeing in your answers there remains falsehood?
