Job 38
1 Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
2 and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
Who is this that darkeneth 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 unto me.
4 Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? 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,
Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
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 brake forth, [as if] 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 the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
10 Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;
And prescribed for it my decree, 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, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
12 Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?
Hast 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 withholden, 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?
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast 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 unto thee? or hast 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,
Hast thou comprehended the breadth of the earth? declare, if thou knowest 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 thereof;
20 that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.
That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof?
21 Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?
[Doubtless], thou knowest, for thou wast then born, 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?
Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, or hast thou seen the treasuries 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 parted, or the east wind scattered upon the earth?
25 Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, or a 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, wherein 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?
Hath the rain a father? or who hath 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 hath gendered it?
30 Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.
The waters are hidden as [with] 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?
Canst 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?
Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season? or canst thou guide the Bear with her train?
33 Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?
Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth?
34 Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?
Canst 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?
Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?
36 Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?
Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath 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 runneth 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,
Wilt 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 provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God, [and] wander for lack of meat?
