Job 38
1 Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind,
2 and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.
Brace yourself like a man, for I will question you, then you answer me!
4 Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding.
5 Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
Who determined its measures, if you know? Or who stretched the line on it?
6 On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof,
What were its foundations fastened on? Or who laid its cornerstone,
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 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 its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;
marked out for it my bound, 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, ‘You may come here, but no further. Your proud waves shall be stopped here’?
12 Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?
“Have you commanded the morning in your days, and caused the dawn 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 shake the wicked 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 presented as a garment.
15 The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun.
From the wicked, their light is withheld. 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 you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you 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 you? Or have you 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 you comprehended the earth in its width? Declare, if you know it all.
19 in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse;
“What is the way to the dwelling of light? As for darkness, where is its place,
20 that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.
that you should take it to its bound, that you should discern the paths to its house?
21 Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?
Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!
22 Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail?
Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses 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 lightning distributed, or the east wind scattered on the earth?
25 Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
Who has cut a channel for the flood water, or the path for the thunderstorm,
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 there is no man, 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, to cause the tender grass to grow?
28 Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew?
Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew?
29 Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene?
Whose womb did the ice come out of? Who has given birth to the grey frost of the sky?
30 Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.
The waters become hard like stone, when the surface 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 you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords 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 you lead the constellations out in their season? Or can you guide the Bear with her cubs?
33 Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?
Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you establish its dominion over the earth?
34 Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?
“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover you?
35 Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present?
Can you send out lightnings, that they may go? Do they report to you, ‘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 count the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the containers of the sky,
38 Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere?
when the dust runs into a mass, and the clods of earth stick together?
39 Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis,
“Can you 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 crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?
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?
