Job 8
1 Sotheli Baldath Suytes answeride, and seide,
Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
2 Hou longe schalt thou speke siche thingis? The spirit of the word of thi mouth is manyfold.
“How long will you go on saying such things? The words of your mouth are a blustering wind.
3 Whether God supplauntith, `ethir disseyueth, doom, and whether Almyyti God distrieth that, that is iust?
Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
4 Yhe, thouy thi sones synneden ayens hym, and he lefte hem in the hond of her wickidnesse;
When your children sinned against Him, He gave them over to their rebellion.
5 netheles, if thou risist eerli to God, and bisechist `Almyyti God, if thou goist clene and riytful,
But if you would earnestly seek God and ask the Almighty for mercy,
6 anoon he schal wake fulli to thee, and schal make pesible the dwellyng place of thi ryytfulnesse;
if you are pure and upright, even now He will rouse Himself on your behalf and restore your righteous estate.
7 in so miche that thi formere thingis weren litil, and that thi laste thingis be multiplied greetli.
Though your beginnings were modest, your latter days will flourish.
8 For whi, axe thou the formere generacioun, and seke thou diligentli the mynde of fadris.
Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers.
9 For we ben men of yistirdai, and `kunnen not; for oure daies ben as schadewe on the erthe.
For we were born yesterday and know nothing; our days on earth are but a shadow.
10 And thei schulen teche thee, thei schulen speke to thee, and of her herte thei schulen bring forth spechis.
Will they not teach you and tell you, and speak from their understanding?
11 Whether a rusche may lyue with out moysture? ethir a spier `may wexe with out watir?
Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Do reeds flourish without water?
12 Whanne it is yit in the flour, nethir is takun with hond, it wexeth drie bifor alle erbis.
While the shoots are still uncut, they dry up quicker than grass.
13 So the weies of alle men, that foryeten God; and the hope of an ypocrite schal perische.
Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish.
14 His cowardise schal not plese hym, and his trist schal be as a web of yreyns.
His confidence is fragile; his security is in a spider’s web.
15 He schal leene, `ether reste, on his hows, and it schal not stonde; he schal vndursette it, and it schal not rise togidere.
He leans on his web, but it gives way; he holds fast, but it does not endure.
16 The rusche semeth moist, bifor that the sunne come; and in the risyng of the sunne the seed therof schal go out.
He is a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden.
17 Rootis therof schulen be maad thicke on an heep of stoonys, and it schal dwelle among stoonys.
His roots wrap around the rock heap; he looks for a home among the stones.
18 If a man drawith it out of `his place, his place schal denye it, and schal seie, Y knowe thee not.
If he is uprooted from his place, it will disown him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’
19 For this is the gladnesse of his weie, that eft othere ruschis springe out of the erthe.
Surely this is the joy of his way; yet others will spring from the dust.
20 Forsothe God schal not caste a wei a symple man, nethir schal dresse hond to wickid men;
Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers.
21 til thi mouth be fillid with leiytir, and thi lippis with hertli song.
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with a shout of joy.
22 Thei that haten thee schulen be clothid with schenschip; and the tabernacle of wickid men schal not stonde.
Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
