Job 3
1 Aftir these thingis Joob openyde his mouth,
At length Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
2 and curside his dai, and seide, Perische the dai in which Y was borun,
And Job spake and said:
3 and the nyyt in which it was seid, The man is conceyued.
Perish the day in which I was born, and the night which said, “A man-child is conceived!”
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 be darkness; Let not God seek it from above; Yea, let not the light shine upon it!
5 Derknessis make it derk, and the schadewe of deeth and myist occupie it; and be it wlappid with bittirnesse.
Let darkness and the shadow of death redeem it; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let whatever darkeneth the day terrify it!
6 Derk whirlwynde holde that niyt; be it not rikynyd among the daies of the yeer, nethir be it noumbrid among the monethes.
As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months!
7 Thilke nyyt be soleyn, and not worthi of preisyng.
O let that night be unfruitful! Let there be in it no voice of joy;
8 Curse thei it, that cursen the dai, that ben redi to reise Leuyathan.
Let them that curse the day curse it, Who are skilful to stir up the leviathan!
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 stars of its twilight be darkened; Let it long for light, and have none; Neither let it see the eyelashes of the morning!
10 For it closide not the doris of the wombe, that bar me, nethir took awei yuels fro min iyen.
Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, And hid not trouble 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 at my birth? Why did I not expire when I came forth from the womb?
12 Whi was Y takun on knees? whi was Y suclid with teetis?
Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I might suck?
13 For now Y slepynge schulde be stille, and schulde reste in my sleep,
For now should I lie down and be quiet; I should sleep; then should I be at rest,
14 with kyngis, and consuls of erthe, that bilden to hem soleyn places;
With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up for themselves—ruins!
15 ethir with prynces that han gold in possessioun, and fillen her housis with siluer;
Or with princes that had gold, And filled their houses with silver;
16 ethir as a `thing hid not borun Y schulde not stonde, ethir whiche conseyued sien not liyt.
Or, as a hidden untimely birth, I had perished; As infants which never saw the light.
17 There wickid men ceessiden of noise, and there men maad wery of strengthe restiden.
There the wicked cease from troubling; There the weary are at rest.
18 And sum tyme boundun togidere with out disese thei herden not the voys of the wrongful axere.
There the prisoners rest together; They hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19 A litil man and greet man be there, and a seruaunt free fro his lord.
The small and the great are there, And the servant is free from his master.
20 Whi is liyt youun to the wretche, and lijf to hem that ben in bitternesse of soule?
Why giveth He light to him that is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,
21 Whiche abiden deeth, and it cometh not;
Who long for death, and it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 as men diggynge out tresour and ioien greetly, whanne thei han founde a sepulcre?
Who rejoice exceedingly, Yea, exult, when they can find a grave?
23 Whi is liyt youun to a man, whos weie is hid, and God hath cumpassid hym with derknessis?
Why is light given to a man from whom the 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 cometh before I eat, And my groans are poured out like water.
25 For the drede, which Y dredde, cam to me; and that, that Y schamede, bifelde.
For that which I dread overtaketh me; That at which I shudder cometh upon me.
26 Whether Y dissymilide not? whether Y was not stille? whether Y restide not? and indignacioun cometh on me.
I have no peace, nor quiet, nor respite: Misery cometh upon me continually.
