Job 29
1 Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
約伯繼續他的言論說：
2 Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
誰能賜我似以前的歲月，像以往天主護守我的時日呢﹖
3 Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
那時他的燈，光照在我頭上，藉他的光明，我走過黑暗。
4 As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
惟願我如壯年之時，那時天主護佑我的帳幕；
5 Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
全能者與我相偕，我的子女環繞著我；
6 whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
那時我以奶油洗腳，崖石流油成河。
7 whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me.
當我走出城門，在市井設我座位之時，
8 Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
少年人看見我都迴避，老年人都起身站立；
9 princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
王侯停止講話，用手堵住自己的口；
10 duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
首領不敢出聲，舌頭緊貼上顎。
11 An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
凡有耳聽見我的，必稱我有福；凡有眼看見我的，都必稱讚我。
12 for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
因為我援助了呼救的窮人，和無依無靠的孤兒。
13 The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
那受喪亡之痛的人稱謝我，我使寡婦的心歡樂。
14 Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
我披上正義，正義就如我衣；我的公正，猶如我的長袍和冠冕。
15 Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
我作了盲人的眼，跛者的腳。
16 Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
我成了窮人之父，我調查過素不相識者的案件。
17 Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
我打碎惡人的燎牙，由他牙齒中奪出了獵物。
18 And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
我心想：我必壽終正寢，我的壽數必如塵沙。
19 My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
我的根蔓延到水邊，夜間甘露落在我的枝葉上。
20 My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
我的榮耀不斷更新，我手中的弓日新月異。
21 Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
聽我講話的人，屏息等待，靜聽我的指教。
22 Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
我講話之後，無人再敢講話，我的話像水珠滴在他們身上。
23 Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
他們期待我如望甘霖，張著大口如渴盼春雨。
24 If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
我向他們微笑，他們不敢相信；我和善的面容，他們必不放過。
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.
我為他們選擇了道路，身居前導，一如立在軍中的君王；我引他們到那裏，他們就去。
