Job 33
1 Therfor, Joob, here thou my spechis, and herkene alle my wordis.
“But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words.
2 Lo! Y haue openyd my mouth, my tunge schal speke in my chekis.
Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue.
3 Of symple herte ben my wordis, and my lippis schulen speke clene sentence.
My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know.
4 The spirit of God made me, and the brething of Almyyti God quykenyde me.
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 If thou maist, answere thou to me, and stoonde thou ayens my face.
Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me.
6 Lo! God made me as and thee; and also Y am formyd of the same cley.
I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.
7 Netheles my myracle make thee not afeerd, and myn eloquence be not greuouse to thee.
Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.
8 Therfor thou seidist in myn eeris, and Y herde the vois of thi wordis;
Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words:
9 Y am cleene, and with out gilt, and vnwemmed, and wickidnesse is not in me.
‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.
10 `For God foond querels in me, therfor he demyde me enemy to hym silf.
Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy.
11 He hath set my feet in a stok; he kepte alle my pathis.
He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’
12 Therfor this thing it is, in which thou art not maad iust; Y schal answere to thee, that God is more than man.
Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.
13 Thou stryuest ayenus God, that not at alle wordis he answeride to thee.
Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?
14 God spekith onys, and the secounde tyme he rehersith not the same thing.
For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.
15 God spekith bi a dreem in the visioun of nyyt, whanne sleep fallith on men, and thei slepen in the bed.
In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,
16 Thanne he openith the eeris of men, and he techith hem, `and techith prudence;
He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings
17 that he turne awei a man fro these thingis whiche he made, and delyuere hym fro pride; delyuerynge his soule fro corrupcioun,
to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,
18 and his lijf, that it go not in to swerd.
to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.
19 Also God blameth a synnere bi sorewe in the bed, and makith alle the boonys of hym `to fade.
A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,
20 Breed is maad abhomynable to hym in his lijf, and mete desirable `bifor to his soule.
so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.
21 His fleisch schal faile for rot, and hise boonys, that weren hilid, schulen be maad nakid.
His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude.
22 His soule schal neiye to corrupcioun, and his lijf to thingis `bryngynge deeth.
He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death.
23 If an aungel, oon of a thousynde, is spekynge for hym, that he telle the equyte of man, God schal haue mercy on hym,
Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,
24 and schal seie, Delyuere thou hym, that he go not doun in to corrupcioun; Y haue founde in what thing Y schal do merci to hym.
to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’
25 His fleisch is wastid of turmentis; turne he ayen to the daies of his yonge wexynge age.
then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.
26 He schal biseche God, and he schal be quemeful to hym; and he schal se his face in hertly ioye, and he schal yelde to man his riytfulnesse.
He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man.
27 He schal biholde men, and he schal seie, Y haue synned, and verili Y haue trespassid; and Y haue not resseyued, as Y was worthi.
Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.
28 For he delyueride his soule, that it schulde not go in to perischyng, but that he lyuynge schulde se liyt.
He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’
29 Lo! God worchith alle these thingis in thre tymes bi alle men;
Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times,
30 that he ayen clepe her soulis fro corrupcioun, and liytne in the liyt of lyuynge men.
to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 Thou, Joob, perseyue, and here me, and be thou stille, the while Y speke.
Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
32 Sotheli if thou hast what thou schalt speke, answere thou to me, speke thou; for Y wole, that thou appere iust.
But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you.
33 That if thou hast not, here thou me; be thou stille, and Y schal teche thee wisdom.
But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
