Job 29
1 Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
And Job continued 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 months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3 Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
When his lamp shone over 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 the days of my youth, when the secret counsel of God was over my tent,
5 Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
When the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me;
6 whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
When my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! ...
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 gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,
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; and the aged arose [and] stood up;
9 princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
Princes refrained from talking, and laid the 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 cleaved to their palate.
11 An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me, and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me;
12 for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
For I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper.
13 The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
The blessing of him that was perishing came upon 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 mantle and a turban.
15 Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I 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, and the cause which I knew not I searched out;
17 Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
And I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;
19 My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew will lie all night on my branch;
20 My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow be renewed in my hand.
21 Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
Unto me they listened, and 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 spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them;
23 Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
[If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.
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 their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth mourners.
