Job 24
1 Tymes ben not hid fro Almyyti God; sotheli thei that knowen hym, knowen not hise daies.
Why are not times [of punishment] treasured up by the Almighty, and why do his adorers not see his days [of retribution]?
2 Othere men turneden ouer the termes of neiyboris eritage, thei token awei flockis, and fedden tho.
[The wicked] remove landmarks: they rob 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 ass of the fatherless, they take in pledge the widow's ox.
4 Thei distrieden the weie of pore men, and thei oppressiden togidere the mylde men of erthe.
They chase the needy out of the highway: altogether hide themselves the poor 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.
Behold, as wild asses in the wilderness go they forth to their work, rising betimes after [their] prey: the desert yieldeth food for them and for their young men.
6 Thei kitten doun a feeld not hern, and thei gaderen grapis of his vyner, whom thei han oppressid bi violence.
In the field they reap their food; and in the vineyard of the wicked they gather the fruit.
7 Thei leeuen men nakid, and taken awei the clothis, to whiche men is noon hiling in coold;
They cause [the poor] to spend the night naked, without clothing and without any covering in the cold.
8 whiche men the reynes of munteyns weeten, and thei han noon hilyng, and biclippen stoonys.
Through the sweeping rain of the mountains are they made wet, and for want of a shelter do they embrace the rock.
9 Thei diden violence, and robbiden fadirles and modirles children; and thei spuyliden, `ether robbiden, the comynte of pore men.
The others pluck from the breast the fatherless, and the garment of the poor they take in pledge.
10 Thei token awey eeris of corn fro nakid men, and goynge with out cloth, and fro hungry men.
They cause him to go naked without clothing, and from the hungry they take away the sheaf:
11 Thei weren hid in myddai among the heepis of tho men, that thirsten, whanne the presses ben trodun.
Within their walls do they make oil, they tread their 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.
Out of a populous city is groaning heard, and the soul of the deadly wounded crieth out: yet God regardeth it not as an offence.
13 Thei weren rebel to liyt; thei knewen not the weyes therof, nether thei turneden ayen bi the pathis therof.
Yon men are of those that rebel against the light: they know not its ways, nor abide 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.
With the earliest light riseth the murderer, he slayeth the poor and needy, and in the night he becometh like the thief.
15 The iye of avouter kepith derknesse, and seith, An yye schal not se me; and he schal hile his face.
And the eye of the adulterer watcheth for the twilight, saying, No eye will see me; and placeth a covering on his face.
16 Thei mynen housis in derknessis, as thei seiden togidere to hem silf in the dai; and thei knewen not liyt.
They break into houses in the dark, in the daytime they lock themselves in: they know not the light.
17 If the morewtid apperith sudeynli, thei demen the schadewe of deth; and so thei goon in derknessis as in liyt.
For to all of these alike is the morning as the shadow of death; for they are familiar with the terrors of the shadow of death.
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.
Swift are such men [to flee] on the face of the water; accursed is their field on the land; none of them turneth himself to 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 speedily consume the snow-waters: so doth the grave those who have sinned. (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.
The mother that bore such a one will forget him; the worm will feed sweetly on him; he will be no more remembered; and like a tree will wickedness be broken.
21 For he fedde the bareyn, and hir that childith not, and he dide not wel to the widewe.
He ill-treateth the barren that heareth not; and to the widow he acteth not well.
22 He drow doun stronge men in his strengthe; and whanne he stondith in `greet state, he schal not bileue to his lijf.
But he also draweth down the mighty with his power: he riseth up, no one is sure 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.
To such [God] granteth to be in safety, that he may find support; and His eyes are upon 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; in but a little while they are no more; and they are brought down low: like all others are they gathered in, and like the top of the ear of corn are they cut off.
25 That if it is not so, who may repreue me, that Y liede, and putte my wordis bifor God?
But if it be not so, who will prove me a liar, and render nought my word?
