Job 29
1 Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
2 Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
“Who makes me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God’s preserving me?
3 Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
4 As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God on my tent.
5 Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Around me—my young ones,
6 whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me—streams 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 go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
8 Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
Youths have seen me, and they have been hidden, And the aged have risen—they stood up.
9 princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
Princes have kept in words, And they place a hand on their mouth.
10 duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
The voice of leaders has been hidden, And their tongue has cleaved to the palate.
11 An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
For the ear heard, and declares me blessed, And the eye has seen, and testifies [to] me.
12 for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who has no helper.
13 The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
The blessing of the perishing comes on me, And I cause the heart of the widow to sing.
14 Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
I have put on righteousness, and it clothes me, My justice as a robe and a crown.
15 Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
I have been eyes to the blind, And I [am] feet to the lame.
16 Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
I [am] a father to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
17 Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
18 And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
And I say, I expire with my nest, And I multiply days as the sand.
19 My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
My root is open to the waters, And dew lodges on my branch.
20 My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
My glory [is] fresh with me, And 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.
They have listened to me, Indeed, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
22 Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
After my word they do not change, And my speech drops on them,
23 Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
And they wait for me as [for] rain, And they have opened wide their mouth [As] for 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 laugh at them—they give no credence, And do not cause the light of my face to fall.
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 choose their way, and sit [as] head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When he comforts mourners.”
