Job 31

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

A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?

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

Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

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

Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?

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

Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?

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

Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —

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

Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of 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 goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,

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

Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!

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, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,

10 and othir men be bowid doun on hir.

Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!

11 For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.

Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!

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

Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.

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

If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, 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 could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered 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 who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?

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

If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;

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

Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;

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

Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:

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

If I saw one perishing for lack 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 did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;

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

If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,

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

Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;

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

For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.

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

If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!

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

If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;

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

If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;

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

And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,

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

That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, 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 rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —

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

Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:

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 household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,

32 my dore was opyn to a weiegoere;

Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.

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

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

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;

Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go 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! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!

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

Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;

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

The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.

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

If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;

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

If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;

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

Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.