Job 33
1 Therfor, Joob, here thou my spechis, and herkene alle my wordis.
“However, Job, please hear my speech, and listen to all my words.
2 Lo! Y haue openyd my mouth, my tunge schal speke in my chekis.
See now, I have opened my mouth. My tongue has spoken in my mouth.
3 Of symple herte ben my wordis, and my lippis schulen speke clene sentence.
My words will utter the uprightness of my heart. That which my lips know they will speak sincerely.
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.
If you can, answer me. Set your words in order before me, and stand up.
6 Lo! God made me as and thee; and also Y am formyd of the same cley.
Behold, I am towards God even as you are. I am also formed out of the clay.
7 Netheles my myracle make thee not afeerd, and myn eloquence be not greuouse to thee.
Behold, my terror will not make you afraid, neither will my pressure be heavy on you.
8 Therfor thou seidist in myn eeris, and Y herde the vois of thi wordis;
“Surely you have spoken in my hearing, I have heard the voice of your words, saying,
9 Y am cleene, and with out gilt, and vnwemmed, and wickidnesse is not in me.
‘I am clean, without disobedience. 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 finds occasions against me. He counts me for his enemy.
11 He hath set my feet in a stok; he kepte alle my pathis.
He puts my feet in the stocks. He marks 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 will answer you. In this you are not just, for God is greater than man.
13 Thou stryuest ayenus God, that not at alle wordis he answeride to thee.
Why do you strive against him, because he doesn’t give account of any of his matters?
14 God spekith onys, and the secounde tyme he rehersith not the same thing.
For God speaks once, yes twice, though man pays no attention.
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 falls on men, in slumbering on the bed,
16 Thanne he openith the eeris of men, and he techith hem, `and techith prudence;
then he opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction,
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 withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
18 and his lijf, that it go not in to swerd.
He keeps 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 on his bed, with continual strife in his bones,
20 Breed is maad abhomynable to hym in his lijf, and mete desirable `bifor to his soule.
so that his life abhors 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 so consumed away that it can’t be seen. His bones that were not seen stick out.
22 His soule schal neiye to corrupcioun, and his lijf to thingis `bryngynge deeth.
Yes, his soul draws 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,
“If there is beside him an angel, an interpreter, one amongst a thousand, to show to 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.
then God is gracious to him, and says, ‘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 will be fresher than 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 he is favourable to him, so that he sees his face with joy. He restores to 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 sings before men, and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it didn’t profit me.
28 For he delyueride his soule, that it schulde not go in to perischyng, but that he lyuynge schulde se liyt.
He has redeemed my soul from going into the pit. My life will see the light.’
29 Lo! God worchith alle these thingis in thre tymes bi alle men;
“Behold, God does all these things, twice, yes three times, 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, Job, and listen to me. Hold your 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 you have anything to say, answer me. Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 That if thou hast not, here thou me; be thou stille, and Y schal teche thee wisdom.
If not, listen to me. Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”
