Job 33
1 Therfor, Joob, here thou my spechis, and herkene alle my wordis.
Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech, and hearken to all my words.
2 Lo! Y haue openyd my mouth, my tunge schal speke in my chekis.
Behold now, I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.
3 Of symple herte ben my wordis, and my lippis schulen speke clene sentence.
My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart; and that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.
4 The spirit of God made me, and the brething of Almyyti God quykenyde me.
The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty given me life.
5 If thou maist, answere thou to me, and stoonde thou ayens my face.
If thou canst, answer thou me, set thy words in order before me, stand forth.
6 Lo! God made me as and thee; and also Y am formyd of the same cley.
Behold, I am toward God even as thou art; I also am formed out of the clay.
7 Netheles my myracle make thee not afeerd, and myn eloquence be not greuouse to thee.
Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.
8 Therfor thou seidist in myn eeris, and Y herde the vois of thi wordis;
Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words;
9 Y am cleene, and with out gilt, and vnwemmed, and wickidnesse is not in me.
'I am clean, without transgression, I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me;
10 `For God foond querels in me, therfor he demyde me enemy to hym silf.
Behold, He findeth occasions against me, He counteth me for His enemy;
11 He hath set my feet in a stok; he kepte alle my pathis.
He putteth my feet in the stocks, He marketh 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, I answer thee: In this thou art not right, that God is too great for man;
13 Thou stryuest ayenus God, that not at alle wordis he answeride to thee.
Why hast thou striven against Him? seeing that He will not answer any of his words.
14 God spekith onys, and the secounde tyme he rehersith not the same thing.
For God speaketh in one way, yea in two, though man perceiveth it not.
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 of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
16 Thanne he openith the eeris of men, and he techith hem, `and techith prudence;
Then He openeth the ears of men, and by their chastisement sealeth the decree,
17 that he turne awei a man fro these thingis whiche he made, and delyuere hym fro pride; delyuerynge his soule fro corrupcioun,
That men may put away their purpose, and that He may hide pride from man;
18 and his lijf, that it go not in to swerd.
That He may keep back 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.
He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and all his bones grow stiff;
20 Breed is maad abhomynable to hym in his lijf, and mete desirable `bifor to his soule.
So that his life maketh him to abhor bread, and his soul dainty food.
21 His fleisch schal faile for rot, and hise boonys, that weren hilid, schulen be maad nakid.
His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones corrode to unsightliness.
22 His soule schal neiye to corrupcioun, and his lijf to thingis `bryngynge deeth.
Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit, and his life to the destroyers.
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,
If there be for him an angel, an intercessor, one among a thousand, to vouch for a man's uprightness;
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.
Then He is gracious unto him, and saith: 'Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.'
25 His fleisch is wastid of turmentis; turne he ayen to the daies of his yonge wexynge age.
His flesh is tenderer than a child's; he returneth 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 prayeth unto God, and He is favourable unto him; so that he seeth His face with joy; and He restoreth unto man his righteousness.
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.
He cometh before men, and saith: 'I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not.'
28 For he delyueride his soule, that it schulde not go in to perischyng, but that he lyuynge schulde se liyt.
So He redeemeth his soul from going into the pit, and his life beholdeth the light.
29 Lo! God worchith alle these thingis in thre tymes bi alle men;
Lo, all these things doth God work, twice, yea thrice, with a man,
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 the living.
31 Thou, Joob, perseyue, and here me, and be thou stille, the while Y speke.
Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me; hold thy peace, 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 thou hast any thing to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify thee.
33 That if thou hast not, here thou me; be thou stille, and Y schal teche thee wisdom.
If not, hearken thou unto me; hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.
