Job 24
1 Tymes ben not hid fro Almyyti God; sotheli thei that knowen hym, knowen not hise daies.
Times are not hid from the Almighty: but they that know him, know not his days.
2 Othere men turneden ouer the termes of neiyboris eritage, thei token awei flockis, and fedden tho.
Some have removed landmarks, have taken away flocks by force, and fed them.
3 Thei driueden awei the asse of fadirlesse children, and token awei the cow of a widewe for a wed.
They have driven away the ass of the fatherless, and have taken away 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 have overturned the way of the poor, and have oppressed together the meek of the earth.
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.
Others like wild asses in the desert go forth to their work: by watching for a prey they get 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 reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.
7 Thei leeuen men nakid, and taken awei the clothis, to whiche men is noon hiling in coold;
They send men away naked, taking away their clothes who have no covering in the cold:
8 whiche men the reynes of munteyns weeten, and thei han noon hilyng, and biclippen stoonys.
Who are wet, with the showers of the mountains, and having no covering embrace the stones.
9 Thei diden violence, and robbiden fadirles and modirles children; and thei spuyliden, `ether robbiden, the comynte of pore men.
They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.
10 Thei token awey eeris of corn fro nakid men, and goynge with out cloth, and fro hungry men.
From the naked and them that go without clothing, and from the hungry they have taken away the ears of corn.
11 Thei weren hid in myddai among the heepis of tho men, that thirsten, whanne the presses ben trodun.
They have taken their rest at noon among the stores of them, who after having trodden the winepresses 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.
Out of the cities they have made men to groan, and the soul of the wounded hath cried out, and God doth not suffer it to pass unrevenged.
13 Thei weren rebel to liyt; thei knewen not the weyes therof, nether thei turneden ayen bi the pathis therof.
They have been rebellious to the light, they have not known his ways, neither have they returned by his 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 riseth at the very break of day, he killeth the needy, and the poor man: but in the night he will be as 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 of the adulterer observeth darkness, saying: No eye shall see me: and he will cover his face.
16 Thei mynen housis in derknessis, as thei seiden togidere to hem silf in the dai; and thei knewen not liyt.
He diggeth through houses in the dark, as in the day they had appointed for themselves, and they have not known the light.
17 If the morewtid apperith sudeynli, thei demen the schadewe of deth; and so thei goon in derknessis as in liyt.
If the morning suddenly appear, it is to them the shadow of death: and they walk in darkness as if it were in light.
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.
He is light upon the face of the water: cursed be his portion on the earth, let him not walk by 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)
Let him pass from the snow waters to excessive heat, and his sin even to hell. (Sheol h7585)
20 Merci foryete hym; his swetnesse be a worm; be he not in mynde, but be he al to-brokun as `a tre vnfruytful.
Let mercy forget him: may worms be his sweetness: let him be remembered no more, but be broken in pieces as an unfruitful tree.
21 For he fedde the bareyn, and hir that childith not, and he dide not wel to the widewe.
For he hath fed the barren that beareth not, and to the widow he hath done no good.
22 He drow doun stronge men in his strengthe; and whanne he stondith in `greet state, he schal not bileue to his lijf.
He hath pulled down the strong by his might: and when he standeth up, he shall not trust to his 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 hath given him place for penance, and he abuseth it unto pride: but his eyes are upon his 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 lifted up for a little while and shall not stand, and shall be brought down as all things, and shall be taken away, and as the tops of the ears of corn they shall be broken.
25 That if it is not so, who may repreue me, that Y liede, and putte my wordis bifor God?
And if it be not so, who can convince me that I have lied, and set my words before God?
