< Job 4 >
1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ελιφας ὁ Θαιμανίτης λέγει
2 If we bigynnen to speke to thee, in hap thou schalt take it heuyli; but who may holde a word conseyued?
μὴ πολλάκις σοι λελάληται ἐν κόπῳ ἰσχὺν δὲ ῥημάτων σου τίς ὑποίσει
3 Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
εἰ γὰρ σὺ ἐνουθέτησας πολλοὺς καὶ χεῖρας ἀσθενοῦς παρεκάλεσας
4 Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
ἀσθενοῦντάς τε ἐξανέστησας ῥήμασιν γόνασίν τε ἀδυνατοῦσιν θάρσος περιέθηκας
5 But now a wounde is comun on thee, and thou hast failid; it touchide thee, and thou art disturblid.
νῦν δὲ ἥκει ἐπὶ σὲ πόνος καὶ ἥψατό σου σὺ δὲ ἐσπούδασας
6 Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
πότερον οὐχ ὁ φόβος σού ἐστιν ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς σου καὶ ἡ ἀκακία τῆς ὁδοῦ σου
7 Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
μνήσθητι οὖν τίς καθαρὸς ὢν ἀπώλετο ἢ πότε ἀληθινοὶ ὁλόρριζοι ἀπώλοντο
8 Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
καθ’ ὃν τρόπον εἶδον τοὺς ἀροτριῶντας τὰ ἄτοπα οἱ δὲ σπείροντες αὐτὰ ὀδύνας θεριοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς
9 and repen tho, to haue perischid bi God blowynge, and to be wastid bi the spirit of his ire.
ἀπὸ προστάγματος κυρίου ἀπολοῦνται ἀπὸ δὲ πνεύματος ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ ἀφανισθήσονται
10 The roryng of a lioun, and the vois of a lionesse, and the teeth of `whelpis of liouns ben al to-brokun.
σθένος λέοντος φωνὴ δὲ λεαίνης γαυρίαμα δὲ δρακόντων ἐσβέσθη
11 Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried.
μυρμηκολέων ὤλετο παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βοράν σκύμνοι δὲ λεόντων ἔλιπον ἀλλήλους
12 Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
εἰ δέ τι ῥῆμα ἀληθινὸν ἐγεγόνει ἐν λόγοις σου οὐθὲν ἄν σοι τούτων κακὸν ἀπήντησεν πότερον οὐ δέξεταί μου τὸ οὖς ἐξαίσια παρ’ αὐτοῦ
13 In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
φόβοι δὲ καὶ ἠχὼ νυκτερινή ἐπιπίπτων φόβος ἐπ’ ἀνθρώπους
14 drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
φρίκη δέ μοι συνήντησεν καὶ τρόμος καὶ μεγάλως μου τὰ ὀστᾶ συνέσεισεν
15 And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
καὶ πνεῦμα ἐπὶ πρόσωπόν μου ἐπῆλθεν ἔφριξαν δέ μου τρίχες καὶ σάρκες
16 Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
ἀνέστην καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνων εἶδον καὶ οὐκ ἦν μορφὴ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου ἀλλ’ ἢ αὔραν καὶ φωνὴν ἤκουον
17 Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?
τί γάρ μὴ καθαρὸς ἔσται βροτὸς ἐναντίον κυρίου ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἄμεμπτος ἀνήρ
18 Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
εἰ κατὰ παίδων αὐτοῦ οὐ πιστεύει κατὰ δὲ ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ σκολιόν τι ἐπενόησεν
19 Hou myche more thei that dwellen in housis of cley, that han an ertheli foundement, schulen be wastyd as of a mouyte.
τοὺς δὲ κατοικοῦντας οἰκίας πηλίνας ἐξ ὧν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πηλοῦ ἐσμεν ἔπαισεν αὐτοὺς σητὸς τρόπον
20 Fro morewtid til to euentid thei schulen be kit doun; and for no man vndurstondith, thei schulen perische with outen ende.
καὶ ἀπὸ πρωίθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας οὐκέτι εἰσίν παρὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς βοηθῆσαι ἀπώλοντο
21 Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
ἐνεφύσησεν γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐξηράνθησαν ἀπώλοντο παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς σοφίαν