Job 9
1 Joob answeride, and seide, Verili Y woot, that it is so,
Then Job answered and said,
2 and that a man comparisound to God schal not be maad iust.
“I truly know that this is so. But how can a person be in the right with God?
3 If he wole stryue with God, he may not answere to God oon for a thousynde.
If he wants to argue with God, he cannot answer him once in a thousand times.
4 He is wiys in herte, and strong in myyt; who ayenstood hym, and hadde pees?
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has ever hardened himself against him and succeeded?—
5 Which bar hillis fro o place to anothir, and thei wisten not; whiche he distriede in his strong veniaunce.
he who removes the mountains without warning anyone when he overturns them in his anger—
6 Which stirith the erthe fro his place, and the pilers therof schulen `be schakun togidere.
he who shakes the earth out of its place and sets its supports trembling.
7 Which comaundith to the sunne, and it risith not; and he closith the sterris, as vndur a signet.
It is the same God who tells the sun not to rise, and it does not, and who covers up the stars,
8 Which aloone stretchith forth heuenes, and goith on the wawis of the see.
who by himself stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea,
9 Which makith Ariture, and Orionas, and Hiadas, `that is, seuene sterris, and the innere thingis of the south.
who makes the Bear, Orion, the Pleiades, and the constellations of the south.
10 Which makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis, of whiche is noon noumbre.
He does great and unsearchable things, and wonderful things that cannot be counted.
11 If he cometh to me, `that is, bi his grace, Y schal not se hym; if he goith awey, `that is, in withdrawynge his grace, Y schal not vndurstonde.
See, he goes by me, and I do not see him; he passes on also, but I do not perceive him.
12 If he axith sodeynli, who schal answere to hym? ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?
If he takes something away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, 'What are you doing?'
13 `God is he, whos wraththe no man may withstonde; and vndur whom thei ben bowid, that beren the world.
God will not withdraw his anger; the helpers of Rahab bow beneath him.
14 Hou greet am Y, that Y answere to hym, and speke bi my wordis with hym?
How much less could I answer him, could I choose words to reason with him?
15 Which also schal not answere, thouy Y haue ony thing iust; but Y schal biseche my iuge.
Even if I were righteous, I could not answer him; I could only plead for mercy with my judge.
16 And whanne he hath herd me inwardli clepynge, Y bileue not, that he hath herd my vois.
Even if I called and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
17 For in a whirlewynd he schal al to-breke me, and he schal multiplie my woundis, yhe, without cause.
For he breaks me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause.
18 He grauntith not, that my spirit haue reste, and he fillith me with bittirnesses.
He does not allow me to regain my breath; but he fills me with bitterness.
19 If strengthe is souyt, `he is moost strong; if equyte of doom is souyt, no man dar yelde witnessynge for me.
If it is a matter of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?
20 If Y wole make me iust, my mouth schal dampne me; if Y schal schewe me innocent, he schal preue me a schrewe.
Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; and though I am blameless, my words would prove me to be guilty.
21 Yhe, thouy Y am symple, my soule schal not knowe this same thing; and it schal anoye me of my lijf.
I am blameless, but I do not care any more about myself; I despise my own life.
22 O thing is, which Y spak, he schal waste `bi deth also the innocent and wickid man.
It makes no difference, which is why I say that he destroys blameless people and wicked people together.
23 If he betith, sle he onys, and leiye he not of the peynes of innocent men.
When a whip suddenly kills, he mocks the despair of the innocent.
24 The erthe is youun in to the hondis of the wickid; he hilith the face of iugis; that if he is not, who therfor is?
The earth is given into the hand of wicked people; God covers the faces of its judges. If it is not he who does it, then who is it?
25 Mi daies weren swiftere than a corour; thei fledden, and sien not good.
My days are swifter than a running messenger; my days flee away; they see no good anywhere.
26 Thei passiden as schippis berynge applis, as an egle fleynge to mete.
They are as fast as papyrus reed boats, and as fast as the eagle that swoops down on its victim.
27 Whanne Y seie, Y schal not speke so; Y chaunge my face, and Y am turmentid with sorewe.
If I said that I would forget about my complaints, that I would take off my sad face and be happy,
28 Y drede alle my werkis, witynge that thou `woldist not spare the trespassour.
I would be afraid of all my sorrows because I know that you will not consider me innocent.
29 Sotheli if Y am also thus wickid, whi haue Y trauelid in veyn?
I will be condemned; why, then, should I try in vain?
30 Thouy Y am waischun as with watris of snow, and thouy myn hondis schynen as moost cleene,
If I washed myself with snow water and made my hands ever so clean,
31 netheles thou schalt dippe me in filthis, and my clothis, `that is, werkis, schulen holde me abhomynable.
God would plunge me in a ditch, and my own clothes would be disgusted with me.
32 Trewli Y schal not answere a man, which is lijk me; nether that may be herd euenli with me in doom.
For God is not a man, as I am, that I could answer him, that we could come together in court.
33 `Noon is, that may repreue euer eithir, and sette his hond in bothe.
There is no judge between us who might lay his hand upon us both.
34 Do he awei his yerde fro me, and his drede make not me aferd.
There is no other judge who could take God's rod off me, who could keep his terror from frightening me.
35 Y schal speke, and Y schal not drede hym; for Y may not answere dredynge.
Then would I speak up and not fear him. But as things are now, I cannot do that.
