< Job 29 >
1 Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
2 Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
3 Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
4 As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
5 Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
6 whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
7 whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me.
8 Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
9 princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
10 duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
11 An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
12 for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
13 The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
14 Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
15 Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
16 Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
17 Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
18 And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
19 My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
20 My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
21 Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
22 Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
23 Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
24 If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
25 If Y wolde go to hem, Y sat the firste; and whanne Y sat as kyng, while the oost stood aboute, netheles Y was comfortour of hem that morenyden.
