Job 33
1 Therfor, Joob, here thou my spechis, and herkene alle my wordis.
Hear, therefore, my discourse, I pray thee, O Job! And attend unto all my words!
2 Lo! Y haue openyd my mouth, my tunge schal speke in my chekis.
Behold, I am opening my mouth; My tongue is now speaking in my palate.
3 Of symple herte ben my wordis, and my lippis schulen speke clene sentence.
My words shall be in the uprightness of my heart; My lips shall utter knowledge purely.
4 The spirit of God made me, and the brething of Almyyti God quykenyde me.
The spirit of God made me, And the breath of the Almighty gave me life.
5 If thou maist, answere thou to me, and stoonde thou ayens my face.
If thou art able, answer me; Set thyself in array against me; stand up!
6 Lo! God made me as and thee; and also Y am formyd of the same cley.
Behold, I, like thee, am a creature of God; I also was formed of clay.
7 Netheles my myracle make thee not afeerd, and myn eloquence be not greuouse to thee.
Behold, my terror cannot dismay thee, Nor can my greatness be heavy upon thee.
8 Therfor thou seidist in myn eeris, and Y herde the vois of thi wordis;
Surely thou hast said in my hearing, I have heard the sound of thy words:
9 Y am cleene, and with out gilt, and vnwemmed, and wickidnesse is not in me.
“I am pure, and without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 `For God foond querels in me, therfor he demyde me enemy to hym silf.
Behold, He seeketh causes of hostility against me; He regardeth me as his enemy.
11 He hath set my feet in a stok; he kepte alle my pathis.
He putteth my feet in the stocks; He watcheth 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, in this thou art not right; I will answer thee; For God is greater than man.
13 Thou stryuest ayenus God, that not at alle wordis he answeride to thee.
Why dost thou contend with Him? For he giveth no account of any of his doings.
14 God spekith onys, and the secounde tyme he rehersith not the same thing.
For God speaketh once, Yea, twice, when man regardeth 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 slumber upon the bed;
16 Thanne he openith the eeris of men, and he techith hem, `and techith prudence;
Then openeth he the ears of men, And sealeth up for them admonition;
17 that he turne awei a man fro these thingis whiche he made, and delyuere hym fro pride; delyuerynge his soule fro corrupcioun,
That he may turn man from his purpose, And hide pride from man.
18 and his lijf, that it go not in to swerd.
Thus he saveth him from the pit, Yea, 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 with a continual agitation of his bones,
20 Breed is maad abhomynable to hym in his lijf, and mete desirable `bifor to his soule.
So that his mouth abhorreth bread, And his taste the choicest food;
21 His fleisch schal faile for rot, and hise boonys, that weren hilid, schulen be maad nakid.
His flesh is consumed, that it cannot be seen, And his bones, that were invisible, are naked;
22 His soule schal neiye to corrupcioun, and his lijf to thingis `bryngynge deeth.
Yea, his soul draweth near to 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,
But if there be with him a messenger, An interpreter, one of a thousand, Who may show unto man his duty,
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 will God be gracious to him, and say, “Save 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 shall became fresher than a child's; He shall return 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 shall pray to God, and he will be favorable to him, And permit him to see his face with joy, And restore 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 shall sing among men, and say, “I sinned; I acted perversely; Yet hath he not requited me for it:
28 For he delyueride his soule, that it schulde not go in to perischyng, but that he lyuynge schulde se liyt.
He hath delivered me from going down to the pit, And my life beholdeth the light.”
29 Lo! God worchith alle these thingis in thre tymes bi alle men;
Lo! all these things doeth God Time after time with man,
30 that he ayen clepe her soulis fro corrupcioun, and liytne in the liyt of lyuynge men.
That he may bring him back from the pit, That he may enjoy 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 to me! Keep silence, 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.
Yet if thou hast any thing to say, answer me! Speak! for I desire to pronounce thee innocent.
33 That if thou hast not, here thou me; be thou stille, and Y schal teche thee wisdom.
But if not, do thou listen to me! Keep silence, and I will teach thee wisdom!
