Job 4
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 If we bigynnen to speke to thee, in hap thou schalt take it heuyli; but who may holde a word conseyued?
If a word were essayed to thee, wouldest thou be grieved? But who can refrain from speaking?
3 Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands;
4 Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
Thy words have upholden him that was stumbling, and thou hast braced up the bending knees:
5 But now a wounde is comun on thee, and thou hast failid; it touchide thee, and thou art disturblid.
But now it is come upon thee, and thou grievest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
Hath not thy piety been thy confidence, and the perfection of thy ways thy hope?
7 Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
Remember, I pray thee, who that was innocent has perished? and where were the upright cut off?
8 Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
Even as I have seen, they that plough iniquity and sow mischief, 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, and by the blast of his nostrils 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 roar of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and 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 perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.
12 Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
Now to me a word was secretly brought, and mine ear received a whisper thereof.
13 In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
In thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men: —
14 drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
Fear came on me, and trembling, and made all my bones to shake;
15 And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
And 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; I could not discern the appearance thereof: a form was before mine eyes; I heard a slight murmur and a voice:
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 purer than his Maker?
18 Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
Lo, he trusteth not his servants, and his angels he chargeth with folly:
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 them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed as the moth!
20 Fro morewtid til to euentid thei schulen be kit doun; and for no man vndurstondith, thei schulen perische with outen ende.
From morning to evening are they smitten: without any heeding it, they perish for ever.
21 Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
Is not their tent-cord torn away in them? they die, and without wisdom.
