Job 21
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide,
And Job answers and says:
2 Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce.
“Hear my word diligently, And this is your consolation.
3 Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi.
Bear with me, and I speak, And after my speaking—you may deride.
4 Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori?
[Is] my complaint [against] man? And if [so], why may my temper not become short?
5 Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth.
Turn to me, and be astonished, And put hand to mouth.
6 And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch.
Indeed, if I have remembered, then I have been troubled. And my flesh has taken fright.
7 Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis.
Why do the wicked live? They have become old, Indeed, they have been mighty in wealth.
8 Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt.
Their seed is established, Before their face 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] peace without fear, Nor [is] a rod of God on them.
10 The cow of hem conseyuede, and caluede not a deed calf; the cow caluyde, and is not priued of hir calf.
His bullock breeds without fail. His cow brings forth safely, and does not miscarry.
11 Her litle children goen out as flockis; and her yonge children `maken fulli ioye with pleies.
They send forth their sucklings as a flock, And their children skip,
12 Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun.
They lift [themselves] up at timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of a pipe.
They wear out their days in good, And in a moment go down [to] Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
14 Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies.
And they say to God, Turn aside from us, And the knowledge of Your ways We have not desired.
15 Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him?
What [is] the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?
16 Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me.
Behold, their good [is] not in their hand (The counsel of the wicked Has been 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 lamp of the wicked extinguished, And their calamity comes on them? He apportions pangs 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 straw before wind, And as chaff a windstorm has stolen 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 for his sons his sorrow, He gives repayment to him—and he knows.
20 Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God.
His own eyes see his destruction, And he drinks of the wrath of the Mighty.
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 [is] his delight in his house after him, And the number of his months cut off?
22 Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye?
Does [one] teach knowledge to God, Since He judges [those] on high?
23 This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie.
This [one] dies in his perfect strength, Wholly at ease and quiet.
24 Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis.
His breasts have been full of milk, And marrow moistens his bones.
25 Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis.
And this [one] dies with a bitter soul, And has not eaten with gladness.
26 And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem.
Together they lie down on the dust, And the worm covers them over.
27 Certis Y knowe youre wickid thouytis, and sentensis ayens me.
Behold, I have known your thoughts, And the schemes against me you do wrongfully.
28 For ye seien, Where is the hows of the prince? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men?
For you say, Where [is] the house of the noble? And where the tent—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 you not asked those passing by the way? And do you not know their signs?
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 spared to a day of calamity. They are brought to a day of wrath.
31 Who schal repreue hise weies bifor hym? and who schal yelde to hym tho thingis, whiche he hath doon?
Who declares his way to his face? And [for] that which he has done, Who gives repayment to him?
32 He schal be led to the sepulcris; and he schal wake in the heep of deed men.
And he is brought to the graves, And a watch is kept over the heap.
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 have been sweet to him, And he draws every man after him, And there is no numbering before him.
34 Hou therfor coumforten ye me in veyn, sithen youre answeris ben schewid to `repugne to treuthe?
And how do you comfort me [with] vanity, And trespass has been left in your answers?”
