< Job 36 >

1 Also Helyu addide, and spak these thingis,
Elihu also continued, and said,
2 Suffre thou me a litil, and Y schal schewe to thee; for yit Y haue that, that Y schal speke for God.
“Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for 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 get my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For verili my wordis ben with out leesyng, and perfit kunnyng schal be preued to thee.
For truly my words are not false. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 God castith not awei myyti men, sithen he is myyti;
“Behold, God is mighty, and doesn’t despise anyone. He is mighty in strength of understanding.
6 but he saueth not wickid men, and he yyueth dom to pore men.
He doesn’t preserve the life of the wicked, but gives justice to the afflicted.
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 doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
8 And if thei ben in chaynes, and ben boundun with the roopis of pouert,
If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions,
9 he schal shewe to hem her werkis, and her grete trespassis; for thei weren violent, `ethir rauenours.
then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
10 Also he schal opene her eere, that he chastise; and he schal speke, that thei turne ayen fro wickidnesse.
He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.
11 If thei heren, and kepen, thei schulen fille her daies in good, and her yeris in glorie.
If they listen and serve him, they will spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
12 Sotheli if thei heren not, thei schulen passe bi swerd, and thei schulen be wastid in foli.
But if they don’t listen, they will perish by the sword; they will die without knowledge.
13 Feyneris and false men stiren the ire of God; and thei schulen not crye, whanne thei ben boundun.
“But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don’t cry for help when he binds them.
14 The soule of hem schal die in tempest; and the lijf of hem among `men of wymmens condiciouns.
They die in youth. Their life perishes among the unclean.
15 He schal delyuere a pore man fro his angwisch; and he schal opene `the eere of hym in tribulacioun.
He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear in oppression.
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.
Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a wide place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.
17 Thi cause is demed as the cause of a wickid man; forsothe thou schalt resseyue thi cause and doom.
“But you are full of the judgment of the wicked. Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Therfor ire ouercome thee not, that thou oppresse ony man; and the multitude of yiftis bowe thee not.
Don’t let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.
19 Putte doun thi greetnesse with out tribulacioun, and putte doun alle stronge men bi strengthe.
Would your wealth sustain you in distress, or all the might of your strength?
20 Dilaie thou not nyyt, that puplis stie for hem.
Don’t desire the night, when people are cut off in their place.
21 Be thou war, that thou bowe not to wickidnesse; for thou hast bigunne to sue this wickidnesse aftir wretchidnesse.
Take heed, don’t regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction.
22 Lo! God is hiy in his strengthe, and noon is lijk hym among the yyueris of lawe.
Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?
23 Who mai seke out the weies of God? ethir who dar seie to hym, Thou hast wrouyt wickidnesse?
Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness’?
24 Haue thou mynde, that thou knowist not his werk, of whom men sungun.
“Remember that you magnify his work, about which men have sung.
25 Alle men seen God; ech man biholdith afer.
All men have looked on it. Man sees it afar off.
26 Lo! God is greet, ouercomynge oure kunnyng; the noumbre of hise yeeris is with out noumbre.
Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him. The number of his years is unsearchable.
27 Which takith awei the dropis of reyn; and schedith out reynes at the licnesse of floodyatis,
For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapor,
28 whiche comen doun of the cloudis, that hilen alle thingis aboue.
which the skies pour down and which drop on man abundantly.
29 If he wole stretche forthe cloudis as his tente,
Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunderings of his pavilion?
30 and leite with his liyt fro aboue, he schal hile, yhe,
Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.
31 the herris of the see. For bi these thingis he demeth puplis, and yyueth mete to many deedli men.
For by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance.
32 In hondis he hidith liyt; and comaundith it, that it come eft.
He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.
33 He tellith of it to his freend, that it is his possessioun; and that he may stie to it.
Its noise tells about him, and the livestock also, concerning the storm that comes up.

< Job 36 >