< Job 34 >

1 And Helyu pronounside, and spak also these thingis,
Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
2 Wise men, here ye my wordis, and lerned men, herkne ye me; for the eere preueth wordis,
Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear to me, ye that have knowledge.
3 and the throte demeth metis bi taast.
For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth food.
4 Chese we doom to vs; and se we among vs, what is the betere.
Let us choose for ourselves what is right: let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job seide, Y am iust, and God hath distried my doom.
For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
6 For whi lesynge is in demynge me, and myn arowe is violent with out ony synne.
Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.
7 Who is a man, as Joob is, that drynkith scornyng as watir?
What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
8 that goith with men worchynge wickidnesse, and goith with vnfeithful men?
Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
9 For he seide, A man schal not plese God, yhe, thouy he renneth with God.
For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
10 Therfor ye men hertid, `that is, vndurstonde, here ye me; vnpite, `ethir cruelte, be fer fro God, and wickidnesse fro Almyyti God.
Therefore hearken to me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
11 For he schal yelde the werk of man to hym; and bi the weies of ech man he schal restore to hym.
For the work of a man he shall render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 For verili God schal not condempne with out cause; nether Almyyti God schal distrie doom.
Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
13 What othere man hath he ordeyned on the lond? ether whom hath he set on the world, which he made?
Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
14 If God dressith his herte to hym, he schal drawe to hym silf his spirit and blast.
If he should set his heart upon man, if he should gather to himself his spirit and his breath;
15 Ech fleisch schal faile togidere; `and a man schal turne ayen in to aisch.
All flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.
16 Therfor if thou hast vndurstondyng, here thou that that is seid, and herkne the vois of my speche.
If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
17 Whether he that loueth not doom may be maad hool? and hou condempnest thou so myche him, that is iust?
Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
18 Which seith to the kyng, Thou art apostata; which clepith the duykis vnpitouse, `ethir vnfeithful.
Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
19 `Which takith not the persoones of princes, nether knew a tyraunt, whanne he stryuede ayens a pore man; for alle men ben the werk of hise hondis.
How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.
20 Thei schulen die sudeynli, and at mydnyyt puplis schulen be troblid, `ethir schulen be bowid, as othere bookis han; and schulen passe, and schulen take `awei `a violent man with out hond.
In a moment they shall die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
21 For the iyen of God ben on the weies of men, and biholdith alle goyngis of hem.
For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
22 No derknessis ben, and no schadewe of deeth is, that thei, that worchen wickidnesse, be hid there;
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 for it is `no more in the power of man, that he come to God in to doom.
For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.
24 God schal al to-breke many men and vnnoumbrable; and schal make othere men to stonde for hem.
He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.
25 For he knowith the werkis of hem; therfor he schal brynge yn niyt, and thei schulen be al to-brokun.
Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
26 He smoot hem, as vnpitouse men, in the place of seinge men.
He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
27 Whiche yeden awei fro hym bi `castyng afore, and nolden vndurstonde alle hise weies.
Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:
28 That thei schulden make the cry of a nedi man to come to hym, and that he schulde here the vois of pore men.
So that they cause the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
29 For whanne he grauntith pees, who is that condempneth? Sithen he hidith his cheer, who is that seeth hym? And on folkis and on alle men `he hath power `to do siche thingis.
When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:
30 Which makith `a man ypocrite to regne, for the synnes of the puple.
That the hypocrite may not reign, lest the people should be ensnared.
31 Therfor for Y haue spoke to God, also Y schal not forbede thee.
Surely hast any one said to God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
32 If Y erride, teche thou me; if Y spak wickidnesse, Y schal no more adde.
That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
33 Whether God axith that wickidnesse of thee, for it displeside thee? For thou hast bigunne to speke, and not Y; that if thou knowist ony thing betere, speke thou.
Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou shalt refuse, or whether thou shalt choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.
34 Men vndurstondynge, speke to me; and a wise man, here me.
Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken to me.
35 Forsothe Joob spak folili, and hise wordis sownen not techyng.
Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.
36 My fadir, be Joob preuede `til to the ende; ceesse thou not fro the man of wickidnesse,
My desire is that Job may be tried to the end because of his answers for wicked men.
37 `that addith blasfemye ouer hise synnes. Be he constreyned among vs in the meene tyme; and thanne bi hise wordis stire he God to the doom.
For he addeth rebellion to his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

< Job 34 >