Job 9

1 Joob answeride, and seide, Verili Y woot, that it is so,

2 and that a man comparisound to God schal not be maad iust.

3 If he wole stryue with God, he may not answere to God oon for a thousynde.

4 He is wiys in herte, and strong in myyt; who ayenstood hym, and hadde pees?

5 Which bar hillis fro o place to anothir, and thei wisten not; whiche he distriede in his strong veniaunce.

6 Which stirith the erthe fro his place, and the pilers therof schulen `be schakun togidere.

7 Which comaundith to the sunne, and it risith not; and he closith the sterris, as vndur a signet.

8 Which aloone stretchith forth heuenes, and goith on the wawis of the see.

9 Which makith Ariture, and Orionas, and Hiadas, `that is, seuene sterris, and the innere thingis of the south.

10 Which makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis, of whiche is noon noumbre.

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.

12 If he axith sodeynli, who schal answere to hym? ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?

13 `God is he, whos wraththe no man may withstonde; and vndur whom thei ben bowid, that beren the world.

14 Hou greet am Y, that Y answere to hym, and speke bi my wordis with hym?

15 Which also schal not answere, thouy Y haue ony thing iust; but Y schal biseche my iuge.

16 And whanne he hath herd me inwardli clepynge, Y bileue not, that he hath herd my vois.

17 For in a whirlewynd he schal al to-breke me, and he schal multiplie my woundis, yhe, without cause.

18 He grauntith not, that my spirit haue reste, and he fillith me with bittirnesses.

19 If strengthe is souyt, `he is moost strong; if equyte of doom is souyt, no man dar yelde witnessynge for me.

20 If Y wole make me iust, my mouth schal dampne me; if Y schal schewe me innocent, he schal preue me a schrewe.

21 Yhe, thouy Y am symple, my soule schal not knowe this same thing; and it schal anoye me of my lijf.

22 O thing is, which Y spak, he schal waste `bi deth also the innocent and wickid man.

23 If he betith, sle he onys, and leiye he not of the peynes of innocent men.

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?

25 Mi daies weren swiftere than a corour; thei fledden, and sien not good.

26 Thei passiden as schippis berynge applis, as an egle fleynge to mete.

27 Whanne Y seie, Y schal not speke so; Y chaunge my face, and Y am turmentid with sorewe.

28 Y drede alle my werkis, witynge that thou `woldist not spare the trespassour.

29 Sotheli if Y am also thus wickid, whi haue Y trauelid in veyn?

30 Thouy Y am waischun as with watris of snow, and thouy myn hondis schynen as moost cleene,

31 netheles thou schalt dippe me in filthis, and my clothis, `that is, werkis, schulen holde me abhomynable.

32 Trewli Y schal not answere a man, which is lijk me; nether that may be herd euenli with me in doom.

33 `Noon is, that may repreue euer eithir, and sette his hond in bothe.

34 Do he awei his yerde fro me, and his drede make not me aferd.

35 Y schal speke, and Y schal not drede hym; for Y may not answere dredynge.