Job 36
1 Also Helyu addide, and spak these thingis,
Elihu continued speaking.
2 Suffre thou me a litil, and Y schal schewe to thee; for yit Y haue that, that Y schal speke for God.
“Be patient with me just a little while longer and let me explain. I still have something to say on God's behalf.
3 Y schal reherse my kunnyng fro the bigynnyng; and Y schal preue my worchere iust.
I will share my extensive knowledge, and I will prove my Creator is in the right.
4 For verili my wordis ben with out leesyng, and perfit kunnyng schal be preued to thee.
I assure you that what I'm saying are not lies, for I am a man whose knowledge is of the highest order.
5 God castith not awei myyti men, sithen he is myyti;
God is mighty, but doesn't despise anyone; he is powerful in strength and understanding.
6 but he saueth not wickid men, and he yyueth dom to pore men.
He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives justice to the oppressed.
7 He takith not awei hise iyen fro a iust man; and he settith kyngis in seete with out ende, and thei ben reisid there.
He always pays attention those who do right, and places them on thrones with kings, honoring them eternally.
8 And if thei ben in chaynes, and ben boundun with the roopis of pouert,
If they are bound in chains, tied down by ropes of suffering,
9 he schal shewe to hem her werkis, and her grete trespassis; for thei weren violent, `ethir rauenours.
then he explains to them what they've done—their arrogant sins.
10 Also he schal opene her eere, that he chastise; and he schal speke, that thei turne ayen fro wickidnesse.
He makes them pay attention and orders them to stop sinning.
11 If thei heren, and kepen, thei schulen fille her daies in good, and her yeris in glorie.
If they listen and do what God says they will live out their lives in happiness.
12 Sotheli if thei heren not, thei schulen passe bi swerd, and thei schulen be wastid in foli.
But if they do not listen they will die a violent death, ignorant of God.
13 Feyneris and false men stiren the ire of God; and thei schulen not crye, whanne thei ben boundun.
Those who reject God hold on to their bitterness. Even when he disciplines them they do not cry out to him for help.
14 The soule of hem schal die in tempest; and the lijf of hem among `men of wymmens condiciouns.
They die in their youth; their lives end among the male temple prostitutes.
15 He schal delyuere a pore man fro his angwisch; and he schal opene `the eere of hym in tribulacioun.
Through suffering God saves those who suffer; he gets their attention through their troubles.
16 Therfor he schal saue thee fro the streit mouth of the broddeste tribulacioun, and not hauynge a foundement vndur it; sotheli the rest of thi table schal be ful of fatnesse.
God is trying to rescue you from the jaws of trouble to a place of freedom and safety, filling your table full of the very best food.
17 Thi cause is demed as the cause of a wickid man; forsothe thou schalt resseyue thi cause and doom.
But you are preoccupied with the fate of the wicked; judgment and justice fill your mind.
18 Therfor ire ouercome thee not, that thou oppresse ony man; and the multitude of yiftis bowe thee not.
But be careful that your anger doesn't seduce you into mockery; and don't let the size of the ‘bribe’ lead you into sin.
19 Putte doun thi greetnesse with out tribulacioun, and putte doun alle stronge men bi strengthe.
Will your cry for help sustain you when troubles come?
20 Dilaie thou not nyyt, that puplis stie for hem.
Do not long for the night when people are suddenly taken away.
21 Be thou war, that thou bowe not to wickidnesse; for thou hast bigunne to sue this wickidnesse aftir wretchidnesse.
Watch out that you don't turn to evil! For it's because of this that you are being tested through suffering.
22 Lo! God is hiy in his strengthe, and noon is lijk hym among the yyueris of lawe.
Look how much power God has! What teacher is like him?
23 Who mai seke out the weies of God? ethir who dar seie to hym, Thou hast wrouyt wickidnesse?
Who has instructed him what to do? Who can say to him ‘You have done wrong’?
24 Haue thou mynde, that thou knowist not his werk, of whom men sungun.
Instead you should praise him for what he has done, as people have done in song.
25 Alle men seen God; ech man biholdith afer.
Everyone has seen God's creation, though only from a distance.
26 Lo! God is greet, ouercomynge oure kunnyng; the noumbre of hise yeeris is with out noumbre.
See how great God is—more than we can understand! No one can count his years.
27 Which takith awei the dropis of reyn; and schedith out reynes at the licnesse of floodyatis,
He draws up the water and distils it into the dew and the rain.
28 whiche comen doun of the cloudis, that hilen alle thingis aboue.
The clouds pour down rain, falling plentifully on humankind.
29 If he wole stretche forthe cloudis as his tente,
Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out, or how thunder roars from where he lives?
30 and leite with his liyt fro aboue, he schal hile, yhe,
See how he scatters lightning around him, and covers the depths of the sea in darkness.
31 the herris of the see. For bi these thingis he demeth puplis, and yyueth mete to many deedli men.
By these actions he rules the people, he provides abundant food.
32 In hondis he hidith liyt; and comaundith it, that it come eft.
He holds lightning in his hands and commands where it should strike.
33 He tellith of it to his freend, that it is his possessioun; and that he may stie to it.
Thunder declares his presence—even cattle know when a storm is coming.
