Job 31

1 I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn.

I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin?

2 For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis?

For what is the portion from God above, And the heritage from the Almighty on high?

3 Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse?

Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity?

4 Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis?

Doth not he see my ways, And number all my steps?

5 If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile,

If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot hath hasted to deceit

6 God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse.

(Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity);

7 If my step bowide fro the weie; if myn iye suede myn herte, and a spotte cleuede to myn hondis;

If my step hath turned out of the way, And my heart walked after mine eyes, And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands:

8 sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root.

Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

9 If myn herte was disseyued on a womman, and if Y settide aspies at the dore of my frend; my wijf be the hoore of anothir man,

If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door;

10 and othir men be bowid doun on hir.

Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her.

11 For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.

For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:

12 Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns.

For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase.

13 If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden ayens me.

If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me;

14 What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym?

What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

15 Whether he, that wrouyte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe?

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?

16 If Y denyede to pore men that, that thei wolden, and if Y made the iyen of a wydewe to abide;

If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

17 if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof;

Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof

18 for merciful doyng encreesside with me fro my yong childhed, and yede out of my modris wombe with me;

(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And her have I guided from my mother’s womb);

19 if Y dispiside a man passynge forth, for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out hilyng;

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering;

20 if hise sidis blessiden not me, and was not maad hoot of the fleeces of my scheep;

If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21 if Y reiside myn hond on a fadirles child, yhe, whanne Y siy me the hiyere in the yate;

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate:

22 my schuldre falle fro his ioynt, and myn arm with hise boonys be al to-brokun.

Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone.

23 For euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on me; and `Y myyte not bere his birthun.

For calamity from God is a terror to me, And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.

24 If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist;

If I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold, [Thou art] my confidence;

25 if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis;

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much;

26 if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli;

If I have beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness,

27 and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth;

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath kissed my hand:

28 which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God;

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have denied the God that is above.

29 if Y hadde ioye at the fallyng of hym, that hatide me, and if Y ioide fulli, that yuel hadde founde hym;

If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him

30 for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule;

(Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);

31 if the men of my tabernacle seiden not, Who yyueth, that we be fillid of hise fleischis? a pilgryme dwellide not with outforth;

If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?

32 my dore was opyn to a weiegoere;

(The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the traveller);

33 if Y as man hidde my synne, and helide my wickidnesse in my bosum;

If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,

34 if Y dredde at ful greet multitude, and if dispisyng of neyyboris made me aferd; and not more Y was stille, and yede not out of the dore;

Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door—

35 who yyueth an helpere to me, that Almyyti God here my desire? that he that demeth,

Oh that I had one to hear me! (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me) And [that I had] the indictment which mine adversary hath written!

36 write a book, that Y bere it in my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me?

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown:

37 Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce.

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him.

38 If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it;

If my land crieth out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together;

39 if Y eet fruytis therof with out money, and Y turmentide the soule of erthetileris of it;

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

40 a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli.

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, And cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.