Job 33
1 Therfor, Joob, here thou my spechis, and herkene alle my wordis.
Howbeit hear, Job, my words, and listen to my speech.
2 Lo! Y haue openyd my mouth, my tunge schal speke in my chekis.
For behold, I have opened my mouth, and my tongue has spoken.
3 Of symple herte ben my wordis, and my lippis schulen speke clene sentence.
My heart [shall be found] pure by [my] words; and the understanding of my lips shall meditate purity.
4 The spirit of God made me, and the brething of Almyyti God quykenyde me.
The Divine Spirit is that which formed me, and the breath of the Almighty that which teaches me.
5 If thou maist, answere thou to me, and stoonde thou ayens my face.
If you can, give me an answer: wait therefore; stand against me, and I [will stand] against you.
6 Lo! God made me as and thee; and also Y am formyd of the same cley.
You are formed out of the clay as also I: we have been formed out of the same [substance].
7 Netheles my myracle make thee not afeerd, and myn eloquence be not greuouse to thee.
My fear shall not terrify you, neither shall my hand be heavy upon you.
8 Therfor thou seidist in myn eeris, and Y herde the vois of thi wordis;
But you have said in mine ears, (I have heard the voice of your words; ) because you say, I am pure, not having sinned;
9 Y am cleene, and with out gilt, and vnwemmed, and wickidnesse is not in me.
I am blameless, for I have not transgressed.
10 `For God foond querels in me, therfor he demyde me enemy to hym silf.
Yet he has discovered a charge against me, and he has reckoned me as an adversary.
11 He hath set my feet in a stok; he kepte alle my pathis.
And he has put my foot in the stocks, and has watched all my ways.
12 Therfor this thing it is, in which thou art not maad iust; Y schal answere to thee, that God is more than man.
For how say you, I am righteous, yet he has not listened to me? for he that is above mortals is eternal.
13 Thou stryuest ayenus God, that not at alle wordis he answeride to thee.
But you say, Why has he not heard every word of my cause?
14 God spekith onys, and the secounde tyme he rehersith not the same thing.
For when the Lord speaks once, or a second time,
15 God spekith bi a dreem in the visioun of nyyt, whanne sleep fallith on men, and thei slepen in the bed.
[sending] a dream, or in the meditation of the night; (as when a dreadful alarm happens to fall upon men, in slumberings on the bed: )
16 Thanne he openith the eeris of men, and he techith hem, `and techith prudence;
then opens he the understanding of men: he scares them with such fearful visions:
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 unrighteousness, and he delivers his body from a fall.
18 and his lijf, that it go not in to swerd.
He spares also his soul from death, and [suffers] him not to fall in war.
19 Also God blameth a synnere bi sorewe in the bed, and makith alle the boonys of hym `to fade.
And again, he chastens him with sickness on his bed, and the multitude of his bones is benumbed.
20 Breed is maad abhomynable to hym in his lijf, and mete desirable `bifor to his soule.
And he shall not be able to take any food, though his soul shall desire meat;
21 His fleisch schal faile for rot, and hise boonys, that weren hilid, schulen be maad nakid.
until his flesh shall be consumed, and he shall show his bones bare.
22 His soule schal neiye to corrupcioun, and his lijf to thingis `bryngynge deeth.
His soul also draws near to death, and his life is in Hades.
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,
Though there should be a thousand messengers of death, not one of them shall wound him: if he should purpose in his heart to turn to the Lord, and declare to man his fault, and show his folly;
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.
he will support him, that he should not perish, and will restore his body as [fresh] plaster upon a wall; and he will fill his bones with morrow.
25 His fleisch is wastid of turmentis; turne he ayen to the daies of his yonge wexynge age.
And he will make his flesh tender as that of a babe, and he will restore him amongst men in [his] full strength.
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.
And he shall pray to the Lord, and his prayer shall be accepted of him; he shall enter with a cheerful countenance, with a full expression [of praise]: for he will render to men [their] due.
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.
Even then a man shall blame himself, saying, What kind of things have I done? and he has not punished me according to the full amount of my sins.
28 For he delyueride his soule, that it schulde not go in to perischyng, but that he lyuynge schulde se liyt.
Deliver my soul, that it may not go to destruction, and my life shall see the light.
29 Lo! God worchith alle these thingis in thre tymes bi alle men;
Behold, all these things, the Mighty One works in a threefold manner with a man.
30 that he ayen clepe her soulis fro corrupcioun, and liytne in the liyt of lyuynge men.
And he has delivered my soul from death, that my life may praise him in the light.
31 Thou, Joob, perseyue, and here me, and be thou stille, the while Y speke.
Listen, Job, and hear 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.
If you have words, answer me: speak, for I desire you to be justified.
33 That if thou hast not, here thou me; be thou stille, and Y schal teche thee wisdom.
If not, do you hear me: be silent, and I will teach you.
