Job 4
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 If we bigynnen to speke to thee, in hap thou schalt take it heuyli; but who may holde a word conseyued?
“If someone ventures to talk with you, will you be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking?
3 Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
Behold, you have instructed many, you have strengthened the weak hands.
4 Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
Your words have supported him who was falling, you have made the feeble knees firm.
5 But now a wounde is comun on thee, and thou hast failid; it touchide thee, and thou art disturblid.
But now it has come to you, and you faint. It touches you, and you are troubled.
6 Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
Is not your piety your confidence? Is not the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
“Remember, now, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off?
8 Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble, reap the same.
9 and repen tho, to haue perischid bi God blowynge, and to be wastid bi the spirit of his ire.
By the breath of God they perish. By the blast of his anger are they consumed.
10 The roryng of a lioun, and the vois of a lionesse, and the teeth of `whelpis of liouns ben al to-brokun.
The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
11 Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried.
The old lion perishes for lack of prey. The cubs of the lioness are scattered abroad.
12 Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
“Now a thing was secretly brought to me. My ear received a whisper of it.
13 In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
14 drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
fear came on me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake.
15 And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
Then a spirit passed before my face. The hair of my flesh stood up.
16 Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes. Silence, then I heard a voice, saying,
17 Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?
‘Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
Behold, he puts no trust in his servants. He charges his angels with error.
19 Hou myche more thei that dwellen in housis of cley, that han an ertheli foundement, schulen be wastyd as of a mouyte.
How much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth!
20 Fro morewtid til to euentid thei schulen be kit doun; and for no man vndurstondith, thei schulen perische with outen ende.
Between morning and evening they are destroyed. They perish forever without any regarding it.
21 Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
Is not their tent cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.’
