Job 4
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, 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 one venture a word unto thee, wilt thou be weary? But who can withhold himself 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 falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble 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 art weary; it toucheth thee, and thou art affrighted.
6 Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
Is not thy fear of God thy confidence, and thy hope the integrity of thy ways?
7 Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
Remember, I pray thee, 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 as I have seen, they that plow 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 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 lion roareth, and the fierce lion howleth — yet 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 abroad.
12 Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
Now a word was secretly brought to me, 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 the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
14 drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
Fear came upon me, and trembling, and all my bones were made to shake.
15 And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
Then a spirit passed before my face, that made the hair of my flesh to stand 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 the appearance thereof; a form was before mine eyes; I heard a still 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 just before God? Shall a man be pure before his Maker?
18 Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
Behold, He putteth no trust in 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 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.
Betwixt morning and evening they are shattered; they perish for ever 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.'
