Job 21
1 And Job answereth and saith: —
Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide,
2 Hear ye diligently my word, And this is your consolation.
Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce.
3 Bear with me, and I speak, And after my speaking — ye may deride.
Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi.
4 I — to man [is] my complaint? and if [so], wherefore May not my temper become short?
Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori?
5 Turn unto me, and be astonished, And put hand to mouth.
Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth.
6 Yea, if I have remembered, then I have been troubled. And my flesh hath taken fright.
And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch.
7 Wherefore do the wicked live? They have become old, Yea, they have been mighty in wealth.
Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis.
8 Their seed is established, Before their face with them, And their offspring before their eyes.
Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt.
9 Their houses [are] peace without fear, Nor [is] a rod of God upon them.
Her housis ben sikur, and pesible; and the yerde of God is not on hem.
10 His bullock hath eaten corn, and doth not loath. His cow bringeth forth safely, And doth not miscarry.
The cow of hem conseyuede, and caluede not a deed calf; the cow caluyde, and is not priued of hir calf.
11 They send forth as a flock their sucklings, And their children skip,
Her litle children goen out as flockis; and her yonge children `maken fulli ioye with pleies.
12 They lift [themselves] up at timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of an organ.
Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun.
Thei leden in goodis her daies; and in a point thei goen doun to hellis. (Sheol h7585)
14 And they say to God, 'Turn aside from us, And the knowledge of Thy ways We have not desired.
Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies.
15 What [is] the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?'
Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him?
16 Lo, not in their hand [is] their good, (The counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)
Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me.
17 How oft is the lamp of the wicked extinguished, And come on them doth their calamity? Pangs He apportioneth in His anger.
Hou ofte schal the lanterne of wickid men be quenchid, and flowing schal come on hem, and God schal departe the sorewis of his stronge veniaunce?
18 They are as straw before wind, And as chaff a hurricane hath stolen away,
Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood.
19 God layeth up for his sons his sorrow, He giveth recompense unto him — and he knoweth.
God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite.
20 His own eyes see his destruction, And of the wrath of the Mighty he drinketh.
Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God.
21 For what [is] his delight in his house after him, And the number of his months cut off?
For whi what perteyneth it to hym of his hows aftir hym, thouy the noumbre of his monethis be half takun awey?
22 To God doth [one] teach knowledge, And He the high doth judge?
Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye?
23 This [one] dieth in his perfect strength, Wholly at ease and quiet.
This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie.
24 His breasts have been full of milk, And marrow his bones doth moisten.
Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis.
25 And this [one] dieth with a bitter soul, And have not eaten with gladness.
Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis.
26 Together — on the dust they lie down, And the worm doth cover them over.
And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem.
27 Lo, I have known your thoughts, And the devices against me ye do wrongfully.
Certis Y knowe youre wickid thouytis, and sentensis ayens me.
28 For ye say, 'Where [is] the house of the noble? And where the tent — The tabernacles of the wicked?'
For ye seien, Where is the hows of the prince? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men?
29 Have ye not asked those passing by the way? And their signs do ye not know?
Axe ye ech of `the weie goeris; and ye schulen knowe, that he vndurstondith these same thingis,
30 That to a day of calamity is the wicked spared. To a day of wrath they are brought.
that an yuel man schal be kept in to the dai of perdicioun, and schal be led to the dai of woodnesse.
31 Who doth declare to his face his way? And [for] that which he hath done, Who doth give recompence to him?
Who schal repreue hise weies bifor hym? and who schal yelde to hym tho thingis, whiche he hath doon?
32 And he — to the graves he is brought. And over the heap a watch is kept.
He schal be led to the sepulcris; and he schal wake in the heep of deed men.
33 Sweet to him have been the clods of the valley, And after him every man he draweth, And before him there is no numbering.
He was swete to the `stoonys, ether filthis, of helle; and drawith ech man aftir hym, and vnnoumbrable men bifor him.
34 And how do ye comfort me [with] vanity, And in your answers hath been left trespass?
Hou therfor coumforten ye me in veyn, sithen youre answeris ben schewid to `repugne to treuthe?
