Job 29
1 Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
Job again took up his parable, and said,
2 Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
“Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
3 Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
5 Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
6 whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
7 whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me.
when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
8 Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
9 princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
12 for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
13 The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
15 Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
16 Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I did not know.
17 Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
19 My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
“Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
22 Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.
23 Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
24 If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.
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.
I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
