Job 4
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
Then 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 we analyse to commune 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, and you have strengthened the weak hands.
4 Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
Your words have raised up him that was falling, and you have 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 has come upon 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 this your fear, your confidence, your hope, and the uprightness of your ways?
7 Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
Remember, I pray you, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
8 Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, 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 blast of God they perish, and by the breath 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 roaring 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 perishes for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps 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, and mine ear received a little 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 falls on men,
14 drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones 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; 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 the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and 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 put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged 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 less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which 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.
They are destroyed from morning to evening: 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.
Does not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.
