Job 24
1 Tymes ben not hid fro Almyyti God; sotheli thei that knowen hym, knowen not hise daies.
“Why are not times laid up by the Almighty? Why do not those who know him see his days?
2 Othere men turneden ouer the termes of neiyboris eritage, thei token awei flockis, and fedden tho.
There are people who remove the landmarks. They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
3 Thei driueden awei the asse of fadirlesse children, and token awei the cow of a widewe for a wed.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless, and they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
4 Thei distrieden the weie of pore men, and thei oppressiden togidere the mylde men of erthe.
They turn the needy out of the way. The poor of the earth all hide themselves.
5 Othere men as wielde assis in deseert goon out to her werk; and thei waken to prey, and bifor maken redy breed to her children.
Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go out to their work, seeking diligently for food. The wilderness yields them bread for their children.
6 Thei kitten doun a feeld not hern, and thei gaderen grapis of his vyner, whom thei han oppressid bi violence.
They cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.
7 Thei leeuen men nakid, and taken awei the clothis, to whiche men is noon hiling in coold;
They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.
8 whiche men the reynes of munteyns weeten, and thei han noon hilyng, and biclippen stoonys.
They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter.
9 Thei diden violence, and robbiden fadirles and modirles children; and thei spuyliden, `ether robbiden, the comynte of pore men.
There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
10 Thei token awey eeris of corn fro nakid men, and goynge with out cloth, and fro hungry men.
so that they go around naked without clothing. Being hungry, they carry the sheaves.
11 Thei weren hid in myddai among the heepis of tho men, that thirsten, whanne the presses ben trodun.
They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.
12 Thei maden men of citees to weile, and the soulis of woundid men schulen crye; and God suffrith it not to go awei vnpunyschid.
From out of the populous city, men groan. The soul of the wounded cries out, yet God does not regard the folly.
13 Thei weren rebel to liyt; thei knewen not the weyes therof, nether thei turneden ayen bi the pathis therof.
“These are of those who rebel against the light. They do not know its ways, nor stay in its paths.
14 A mansleere risith ful eerli, and sleeth a nedi man, and a pore man; sotheli bi nyyt he schal be as a nyyt theef.
The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy. In the night he is like a thief.
15 The iye of avouter kepith derknesse, and seith, An yye schal not se me; and he schal hile his face.
The eye also of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me.’ He disguises his face.
16 Thei mynen housis in derknessis, as thei seiden togidere to hem silf in the dai; and thei knewen not liyt.
In the dark they dig through houses. They shut themselves up in the daytime. They do not know the light.
17 If the morewtid apperith sudeynli, thei demen the schadewe of deth; and so thei goon in derknessis as in liyt.
For the morning is to all of them like thick darkness, for they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
18 He is vnstablere than the face of the water; his part in erthe be cursid, and go he not bi the weie of vyneris.
“They are foam on the surface of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the earth. They do not turn into the way of the vineyards.
19 Passe he to ful greet heete fro the watris of snowis, and the synne of hym `til to hellis. (Sheol h7585)
Drought and heat consume the snow waters, so does Sheol (Sheol h7585) those who have sinned.
20 Merci foryete hym; his swetnesse be a worm; be he not in mynde, but be he al to-brokun as `a tre vnfruytful.
The womb will forget him. The worm will feed sweetly on him. He will be no more remembered. Unrighteousness will be broken as a tree.
21 For he fedde the bareyn, and hir that childith not, and he dide not wel to the widewe.
He devours the barren who do not bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.
22 He drow doun stronge men in his strengthe; and whanne he stondith in `greet state, he schal not bileue to his lijf.
Yet God preserves the mighty by his power. He rises up who has no assurance of life.
23 God yaf to hym place of penaunce, and he mysusith that in to pride; for the iyen of God ben in the weies of that man.
God gives them security, and they rest in it. His eyes are on their ways.
24 Thei ben reisid at a litil, and thei schulen not stonde; and thei schulen be maad low as alle thingis, and thei schulen be takun awei; and as the hyynessis of eeris of corn thei schulen be al to-brokun.
They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone. Yes, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all others, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.
25 That if it is not so, who may repreue me, that Y liede, and putte my wordis bifor God?
If it is not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech worth nothing?”
