Job 38
1 Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,
Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.
Gird up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and declare thou to me.
4 Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.
Where were thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou have understanding.
5 Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
Who determined the measures of it, if thou know? Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof,
Upon what were the foundations of it fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone of it
7 whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli?
when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe?
Or who shut up the sea with doors when it broke forth, like it had issued out of the womb,
9 Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed.
when I made clouds the garment of it, and thick darkness a swaddling-band for it,
10 Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;
and marked out for it my bound, and set bars and doors,
11 and Y seide, `Til hidur thou schalt come, and thou schalt not go forth ferthere; and here thou schalt breke togidere thi bolnynge wawis.
and said, This far thou shall come, but no farther, and here thy proud waves shall be stayed?
12 Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?
Have thou commanded the morning since thy days began, and caused the dayspring to know its place
13 Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro?
that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?
14 A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth.
It is changed as clay under the seal, and all things stand forth as a garment.
15 The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun.
And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the high arm is broken.
16 Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian?
Have thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or have thou walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris?
Have the gates of death been revealed to thee? Or have thou seen the gates of the shadow of death?
18 Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis,
Have thou comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if thou know it all.
19 in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse;
Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And as for darkness, where is the place of it
20 that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.
that thou should take it to the bound of it, and that thou should discern the paths to the house of it?
21 Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?
Thou know, for thou were born then, and the number of thy days is great!
22 Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail?
Have thou entered the treasuries of the snow, or have thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23 whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel.
which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?
24 Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe?
By what way is the light divided, or the east wind scattered upon the earth?
25 Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
Who has cleft a channel for the water flood, or the way for the lightning of the thunder,
26 and weie of the thundur sownynge? That it schulde reyne on the erthe with out man in desert, where noon of deedli men dwellith?
to cause it to rain on a land where no man is, on the wilderness, in which there is no man,
27 That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis?
to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, and to cause the tender grass to spring forth?
28 Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew?
Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene?
Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who has engendered it?
30 Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.
The waters hide themselves and become like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
31 Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis?
Can thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32 Whether thou bryngist forth Lucifer, `that is, dai sterre, in his tyme, and makist euene sterre to rise on the sones of erthe?
Can thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? Or can thou guide the Bear with her train?
33 Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?
Do thou know the ordinances of the heavens? Can thou establish the dominion of it on the earth?
34 Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?
Can thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?
35 Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present?
Can thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, and say to thee, Here we are?
36 Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?
Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who has given understanding to the mind?
37 Who schal telle out the resoun of heuenes, and who schal make acordyng of heuene to sleep?
Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven
38 Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere?
when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods cleave fast together?
39 Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis,
Can thou hunt the prey for the lioness, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions
40 whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes?
when they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41 Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis?
Who provides for the raven his prey when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?
