Job 30
1 But now yongere men in tyme scornen me, whos fadris Y deynede not to sette with the doggis of my flok.
“But now they mock me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to entrust with my sheep dogs.
2 Of whiche men the vertu of hondis was for nouyt to me, and thei weren gessid vnworthi to that lijf.
What use to me was the strength of their hands, since their vigor had left them?
3 Thei weren bareyn for nedynesse and hungur; that gnawiden in wildirnesse, and weren pale for pouert and wretchidnesse;
Gaunt from poverty and hunger, they gnawed the dry land, and the desolate wasteland by night.
4 and eeten eerbis, aud the ryndis of trees; and the roote of iunyperis was her mete.
They plucked mallow among the shrubs, and the roots of the broom tree were their food.
5 Whiche men rauyschiden these thingis fro grete valeis; and whanne thei hadden foundun ony of alle, thei runnen with cry to tho.
They were banished from among men, shouted down like thieves,
6 Thei dwelliden in deseertis of strondis, and in caues of erthe, ethir on grauel, `ethir on cley.
so that they lived on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground.
7 Whiche weren glad among siche thingis, and arettiden delices to be vndur buschis.
They cried out among the shrubs and huddled beneath the nettles.
8 The sones of foolis and of vnnoble men, and outirli apperynge not in erthe.
A senseless and nameless brood, they were driven off the land.
9 But now Y am turned in to the song of hem, and Y am maad a prouerbe to hem.
And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.
10 Thei holden me abhomynable, and fleen fer fro me, and dreden not to spete on my face.
They abhor me and keep far from me; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.
11 For God hath openyd his arowe caas, and hath turmentid me, and hath set a bridil in to my mouth.
Because God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint in my presence.
12 At the riytside of the eest my wretchidnessis risiden anoon; thei turneden vpsedoun my feet, and oppressiden with her pathis as with floodis.
The rabble arises at my right; they lay snares for my feet and build siege ramps against me.
13 Thei destrieden my weies; thei settiden tresoun to me, and hadden the maistri; and `noon was that helpide.
They tear up my path; they profit from my destruction, with no one to restrain them.
14 Thei felden in on me as bi a brokun wal, and bi yate openyd, and weren stretchid forth to my wretchidnessis.
They advance as through a wide breach; through the ruins they keep rolling in.
15 Y am dryuun in to nouyt; he took awei my desir as wynd, and myn helpe passide awei as a cloude.
Terrors are turned loose against me; they drive away my dignity as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed like a cloud.
16 But now my soule fadith in my silf, and daies of turment holden me stidfastly.
And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction grip me.
17 In nyyt my boon is persid with sorewis; and thei, that eten me, slepen not.
Night pierces my bones, and my gnawing pains never rest.
18 In the multitude of tho my cloth is wastid, and thei han gird me as with coler of a coote.
With great force He grasps my garment; He seizes me by the collar of my tunic.
19 Y am comparisound to cley, and Y am maad lijk to a deed sparcle and aisch.
He throws me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes.
20 Y schal cry to thee, and thou schalt not here me; Y stonde, and thou biholdist not me.
I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer; when I stand up, You merely look at me.
21 Thou art chaungid in to cruel to me, and in the hardnesse of thin hond thou art aduersarie to me.
You have ruthlessly turned on me; You oppose me with Your strong hand.
22 Thou hast reisid me, and hast set as on wynd; and hast hurtlid me doun strongli.
You snatch me up into the wind and drive me before it; You toss me about in the storm.
23 Y woot, that thow schalt bitake me to deeth, where an hows is ordeyned to ech lyuynge man.
Yes, I know that You will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.
24 Netheles thou sendist not out thin hond to the wastyng of hem; and if thei fallen doun, thou schalt saue.
Yet no one stretches out his hand to a ruined man when he cries for help in his distress.
25 Y wepte sum tyme on him, that was turmentid, and my soule hadde compassioun on a pore man.
Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has my soul not grieved for the needy?
26 Y abood goodis, and yuelis ben comun to me; Y abood liyt, and derknessis braken out.
But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell.
27 Myn ynnere thingis buyliden out with outen my reste; daies of turment camen bifor me.
I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me.
28 Y yede morenynge, and Y roos with out woodnesse in the cumpenye, and criede.
I go about blackened, but not by the sun. I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.
29 Y was the brother of dragouns, and the felow of ostrigis.
I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.
30 My skyn was maad blak on me, and my boonys drieden for heete.
My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever.
31 Myn harpe is turned in to morenyng, and myn orgun in to the vois of weperis.
My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.
