Job 38
1 Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,
And after Elius had ceased from speaking, the Lord spoke to Job through the whirlwind and clouds, [saying],
2 and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
Who is this that hides counsel from me, and confines words in [his] heart, and thinks to conceal [them] from me?
3 Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.
Gird your loins like a man; and I will ask you, and do you answer me.
4 Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.
Where was you when I founded the earth? tell me now, if you have knowledge,
5 Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
who set the measures of it, if you know? or who stretched a line upon it?
6 On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof,
On what are its rings fastened? and who is he that laid the corner-stone upon it?
7 whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli?
When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice.
8 Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe?
And I shut up the sea with gates, when it rushed out, coming forth out its mother's womb.
9 Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed.
And I made a cloud its clothing, and swathed it in mist.
10 Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;
And I set bounds to it, surrounding it with bars and gates.
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 I said to it, Hitherto shall you come, but you shall not go beyond, but your waves shall be confined within you.
12 Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?
Or did I order the morning light in your time; and [did] the morning star [then first] see his appointed place;
13 Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro?
to lay hold of the extremities of the earth, to cast out the ungodly out of it?
14 A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth.
Or did you take clay of the ground, and form a living creature, and set it with the power of speech upon the earth?
15 The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun.
And have you removed light from the ungodly, and crushed the arm of the proud?
16 Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian?
Or have you gone to the source of the sea, and walked in the tracks of the deep?
17 Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris?
And do the gates of death open to you for fear; and did the porters of hell quake when they saw you? (questioned)
18 Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis,
And have you been instructed in the breadth of the [whole earth] under heaven? tell me now, what is the extent of it?
19 in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse;
And in what kind of a land does the light dwell? and of what kind is the place of darkness?
20 that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.
If you could bring me to their [utmost] boundaries, and if also you know their paths;
21 Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?
I know then that you were born at that time, and the number of your years is great.
22 Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail?
But have you gone to the treasures of snow? and have you seen the treasures of hail?
23 whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel.
And is there a store [of them], for you against the time of [your] enemies, for the day of wars and battle?
24 Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe?
And whence proceeds the frost? or [whence] is the south wind dispersed over the [whole world] under heaven?
25 Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
And who prepared a course for the violent rain, and a way for the thunders;
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 rain upon the land where [there is] no man, the wilderness, where there is not a man in it; so as to feed the untrodden and uninhabited [land],
27 That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis?
and cause it to send forth a crop of green herbs?
28 Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew?
Who is the rain's father? and who has generated the drops of dew?
29 Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene?
And out of whose womb comes the ice? and who has produced the frost in the sky,
30 Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.
which descends like flowing water? who has terrified the face of the ungodly?
31 Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis?
And do you understand the band of Pleias, and have you opened the barrier 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?
Or will you reveal Mazuroth in his season, and the evening star with his rays? Will you guide them?
33 Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?
And know you the changes of heaven, or the events which take place together under heaven?
34 Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?
And will you call a cloud with your voice, and will it obey you with a violent shower of much rain?
35 Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present?
And will you send lightnings, and they shall go? and shall they say to you, What is [your pleasure]?
36 Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?
And who has given to women skill in weaving, or knowledge of embroidery?
37 Who schal telle out the resoun of heuenes, and who schal make acordyng of heuene to sleep?
And who is he that numbers the clouds in wisdom, and has bowed the heaven [down] to the earth?
38 Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere?
For it is spread out as dusty earth, and I have cemented it as one hewn stone to another.
39 Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis,
And will you hunt a prey for the lions? and satisfy the desires of the serpents?
40 whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes?
For they fear in their lairs, and lying in wait couch in the woods.
41 Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis?
And who has prepared food for the raven? for its young ones wander and cry to the Lord, in search of food.
