< Job 3 >
1 Aftir these thingis Joob openyde his mouth,
2 and curside his dai, and seide, Perische the dai in which Y was borun,
3 and the nyyt in which it was seid, The man is conceyued.
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.
5 Derknessis make it derk, and the schadewe of deeth and myist occupie it; and be it wlappid with bittirnesse.
6 Derk whirlwynde holde that niyt; be it not rikynyd among the daies of the yeer, nethir be it noumbrid among the monethes.
7 Thilke nyyt be soleyn, and not worthi of preisyng.
8 Curse thei it, that cursen the dai, that ben redi to reise Leuyathan.
9 Sterris be maad derk with the derknesse therof; abide it liyt, and se it not, nethir the bigynnyng of the morwetid risyng vp.
10 For it closide not the doris of the wombe, that bar me, nethir took awei yuels fro min iyen.
11 Whi was not Y deed in the wombe? whi yede Y out of the wombe, and perischide not anoon?
12 Whi was Y takun on knees? whi was Y suclid with teetis?
13 For now Y slepynge schulde be stille, and schulde reste in my sleep,
14 with kyngis, and consuls of erthe, that bilden to hem soleyn places;
15 ethir with prynces that han gold in possessioun, and fillen her housis with siluer;
16 ethir as a `thing hid not borun Y schulde not stonde, ethir whiche conseyued sien not liyt.
17 There wickid men ceessiden of noise, and there men maad wery of strengthe restiden.
18 And sum tyme boundun togidere with out disese thei herden not the voys of the wrongful axere.
19 A litil man and greet man be there, and a seruaunt free fro his lord.
20 Whi is liyt youun to the wretche, and lijf to hem that ben in bitternesse of soule?
21 Whiche abiden deeth, and it cometh not;
22 as men diggynge out tresour and ioien greetly, whanne thei han founde a sepulcre?
23 Whi is liyt youun to a man, whos weie is hid, and God hath cumpassid hym with derknessis?
24 Bifore that Y ete, Y siyhe; and as of watir flowynge, so is my roryng.
25 For the drede, which Y dredde, cam to me; and that, that Y schamede, bifelde.
26 Whether Y dissymilide not? whether Y was not stille? whether Y restide not? and indignacioun cometh on me.