Job 3
1 Aftir these thingis Joob openyde his mouth,
Afterward Iob opened his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 and curside his dai, and seide, Perische the dai in which Y was borun,
And Iob cryed out, and sayd,
3 and the nyyt in which it was seid, The man is conceyued.
Let the day perish, wherein I was borne, and the night when it was sayde, There is a man childe conceiued.
4 Thilke dai be turnede in to derknessis; God seke not it aboue, and be it not in mynde, nethir be it liytned with liyt.
Let that day bee darkenesse, let not God regarde it from aboue, neyther let the light shine vpon it,
5 Derknessis make it derk, and the schadewe of deeth and myist occupie it; and be it wlappid with bittirnesse.
But let darkenesse, and the shadowe of death staine it: let the cloude remayne vpon it, and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day.
6 Derk whirlwynde holde that niyt; be it not rikynyd among the daies of the yeer, nethir be it noumbrid among the monethes.
Let darkenesse possesse that night, let it not be ioyned vnto the dayes of the yeere, nor let it come into the count of the moneths.
7 Thilke nyyt be soleyn, and not worthi of preisyng.
Yea, desolate be that night, and let no ioy be in it.
8 Curse thei it, that cursen the dai, that ben redi to reise Leuyathan.
Let them that curse the day, (being readie to renue their mourning) curse it.
9 Sterris be maad derk with the derknesse therof; abide it liyt, and se it not, nethir the bigynnyng of the morwetid risyng vp.
Let the starres of that twilight be dimme through darkenesse of it: let it looke for light, but haue none: neither let it see the dawning of the day,
10 For it closide not the doris of the wombe, that bar me, nethir took awei yuels fro min iyen.
Because it shut not vp the dores of my mothers wombe: nor hid sorowe from mine eyes.
11 Whi was not Y deed in the wombe? whi yede Y out of the wombe, and perischide not anoon?
Why died I not in the birth? or why dyed I not, when I came out of the wombe?
12 Whi was Y takun on knees? whi was Y suclid with teetis?
Why did the knees preuent me? and why did I sucke the breasts?
13 For now Y slepynge schulde be stille, and schulde reste in my sleep,
For so shoulde I now haue lyen and bene quiet, I should haue slept then, and bene at rest,
14 with kyngis, and consuls of erthe, that bilden to hem soleyn places;
With the Kings and counselers of the earth, which haue buylded themselues desolate places:
15 ethir with prynces that han gold in possessioun, and fillen her housis with siluer;
Or with the princes that had golde, and haue filled their houses with siluer.
16 ethir as a `thing hid not borun Y schulde not stonde, ethir whiche conseyued sien not liyt.
Or why was I not hid, as an vntimely birth, either as infants, which haue not seene the light?
17 There wickid men ceessiden of noise, and there men maad wery of strengthe restiden.
The wicked haue there ceased from their tyrannie, and there they that laboured valiantly, are at rest.
18 And sum tyme boundun togidere with out disese thei herden not the voys of the wrongful axere.
The prisoners rest together, and heare not the voyce of the oppressour.
19 A litil man and greet man be there, and a seruaunt free fro his lord.
There are small and great, and the seruant is free from his master.
20 Whi is liyt youun to the wretche, and lijf to hem that ben in bitternesse of soule?
Wherefore is the light giuen to him that is in miserie? and life vnto them that haue heauie hearts?
21 Whiche abiden deeth, and it cometh not;
Which long for death, and if it come not, they would euen search it more then treasures:
22 as men diggynge out tresour and ioien greetly, whanne thei han founde a sepulcre?
Which ioy for gladnes, and reioyce, when they can finde the graue.
23 Whi is liyt youun to a man, whos weie is hid, and God hath cumpassid hym with derknessis?
Why is the light giuen to the man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
24 Bifore that Y ete, Y siyhe; and as of watir flowynge, so is my roryng.
For my sighing commeth before I eate, and my roarings are powred out like the water.
25 For the drede, which Y dredde, cam to me; and that, that Y schamede, bifelde.
For the thing I feared, is come vpon me, and the thing that I was afraid of, is come vnto me.
26 Whether Y dissymilide not? whether Y was not stille? whether Y restide not? and indignacioun cometh on me.
I had no peace, neither had I quietnesse, neither had I rest, yet trouble is come.
