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 anyone tries to speak with you, will you be impatient? But who can stop himself from speaking?
3 Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
See, you have instructed many; you have strengthened weak hands.
4 Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
Your words have supported him who was falling; you have made feeble knees firm.
5 But now a wounde is comun on thee, and thou hast failid; it touchide thee, and thou art disturblid.
But now trouble has come to you, and you are weary; 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 your fear your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
Think about this, please: Who has ever perished when innocent? Or when were the upright people ever cut off?
8 Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap it.
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; by the blast of his anger they 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 the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions—they 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 victims; the cubs of the lioness are scattered everywhere.
12 Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
Now a certain matter was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper about it.
13 In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
Then came thoughts from visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on people.
14 drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
It was at night when fear and trembling came upon me, and all my bones shook.
15 And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
Then a spirit passed before my face, and 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.
The spirit stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, and I heard a voice that said,
17 Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?
“Can a mortal man be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
See, if God puts no trust in his servants; if he accuses his angels of 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 is this true of those who live in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed sooner than a moth?
20 Fro morewtid til to euentid thei schulen be kit doun; and for no man vndurstondith, thei schulen perische with outen ende.
Between morning and evening they are destroyed; they perish forever without anyone noticing them.
21 Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
Are not their tent cords plucked up among them? They die; they die without wisdom.
