Job 4
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, and sayde,
2 If we bigynnen to speke to thee, in hap thou schalt take it heuyli; but who may holde a word conseyued?
If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieued? but who can withholde himselfe from speaking?
3 Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
Behold, thou hast taught many, and hast strengthened the wearie hands.
4 Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
Thy wordes haue confirmed him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the weake 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 vpon thee, and thou art grieued: it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
Is not this thy feare, thy confidence, thy pacience, and the vprightnesse of thy wayes?
7 Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
Remember, I pray thee: who euer perished, being an innocent? or where were the vpright destroyed?
8 Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
As I haue seene, they that plow iniquitie, and sowe wickednesse, reape the same.
9 and repen tho, to haue perischid bi God blowynge, and to be wastid bi the spirit of his ire.
With the blast of God they perish, and with the breath of his nostrels are they cosumed.
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 voyce of the Lionesse, and the teeth of the Lions whelpes are broken.
11 Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried.
The Lyon perisheth for lacke of pray, and the Lyons whelpes are scattered abroade.
12 Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
But a thing was brought to me secretly, and mine eare hath receiued a litle thereof.
13 In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
In the thoughtes of ye visions of the night, when sleepe falleth on men,
14 drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
Feare came vpon me, and dread which made all my bones to tremble.
15 And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
And the wind passed before me, and made the heares of my flesh to stande vp.
16 Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
Then stoode one, and I knewe not his face: an image was before mine eyes, and in silence heard I a voyce, saying,
17 Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?
Shall man be more iust then God? or shall a man be more pure then his maker?
18 Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
Beholde, he founde no stedfastnesse in his Seruants, and laid follie vpon his Angels.
19 Hou myche more thei that dwellen in housis of cley, that han an ertheli foundement, schulen be wastyd as of a mouyte.
Howe much more in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which shalbe destroyed 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.
They be destroyed from the morning vnto the euening: they perish for euer, without regarde.
21 Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
Doeth not their dignitie goe away with them? do they not die, and that without wisdom?
