Job 4
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
2 If we bigynnen to speke to thee, in hap thou schalt take it heuyli; but who may holde a word conseyued?
“Has one tried a word with you? You are weary! And who is able to keep in words?
3 Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
Behold, you have instructed many, And feeble hands you make strong.
4 Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
Your words raise up the stumbling one, And you strengthen bowing knees.
5 But now a wounde is comun on thee, and thou hast failid; it touchide thee, and thou art disturblid.
But now, it comes to you, And you are weary; It strikes to you, and you are troubled.
6 Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
Is your reverence not your confidence? Your hope—the perfection of your ways?
7 Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
Now remember, Who, being innocent, has perished? And where have the upright been cut off?
8 Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
As I have seen—plowers of iniquity, And sowers of misery, reap it!
9 and repen tho, to haue perischid bi God blowynge, and to be wastid bi the spirit of his ire.
From the breath of God they perish, And from the spirit of His anger [are] 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 a lion, And the voice of a fierce lion, And teeth of young lions have been broken.
11 Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried.
An old lion is perishing without prey, And the whelps of the lioness separate.
12 Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
And a thing is secretly brought to me, And my ear receives a little of it.
13 In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men,
14 drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
Fear has met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear.
15 And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
And a spirit passes before my face, The hair of my flesh stands up;
16 Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
It stands, and I do not discern its aspect, A likeness [is] before my eyes, Silence! And I hear a voice:
17 Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?
Is mortal man more righteous than God? Is a man cleaner than his Maker?
18 Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
Behold, He puts no credence in His servants, Nor sets praise in His messengers.
19 Hou myche more thei that dwellen in housis of cley, that han an ertheli foundement, schulen be wastyd as of a mouyte.
Also—the inhabitants of houses of clay (Whose foundation [is] in the dust, They bruise them before a 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 beaten down, Without any regarding, they perish forever.
21 Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
Has their excellence not been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!”
