Job 29
1 addidit quoque Iob adsumens parabolam suam et dixit
Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
2 quis mihi tribuat ut sim iuxta menses pristinos secundum dies quibus Deus custodiebat me
Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
3 quando splendebat lucerna eius super caput meum et ad lumen eius ambulabam in tenebris
Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
4 sicut fui in diebus adulescentiae meae quando secreto Deus erat in tabernaculo meo
As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
5 quando erat Omnipotens mecum et in circuitu meo pueri mei
Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
6 quando lavabam pedes meos butyro et petra fundebat mihi rivos olei
whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
7 quando procedebam ad portam civitatis et in platea parabant cathedram mihi
whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me.
8 videbant me iuvenes et abscondebantur et senes adsurgentes stabant
Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
9 principes cessabant loqui et digitum superponebant ori suo
princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
10 vocem suam cohibebant duces et lingua eorum gutturi suo adherebat
duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
11 auris audiens beatificabat me et oculus videns testimonium reddebat mihi
An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
12 quod liberassem pauperem vociferantem et pupillum cui non esset adiutor
for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
13 benedictio perituri super me veniebat et cor viduae consolatus sum
The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
14 iustitia indutus sum et vestivit me sicut vestimento et diademate iudicio meo
Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
15 oculus fui caeco et pes claudo
Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
16 pater eram pauperum et causam quam nesciebam diligentissime investigabam
Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
17 conterebam molas iniqui et de dentibus illius auferebam praedam
Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
18 dicebamque in nidulo meo moriar et sicut palma multiplicabo dies
And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
19 radix mea aperta est secus aquas et ros morabitur in messione mea
My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
20 gloria mea semper innovabitur et arcus meus in manu mea instaurabitur
My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
21 qui me audiebant expectabant sententiam et intenti tacebant ad consilium meum
Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
22 verbis meis addere nihil audebant et super illos stillabat eloquium meum
Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
23 expectabant me sicut pluviam et os suum aperiebant quasi ad imbrem serotinum
Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
24 si quando ridebam ad eos non credebant et lux vultus mei non cadebat in terram
If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
25 si voluissem ire ad eos sedebam primus cumque sederem quasi rex circumstante exercitu eram tamen maerentium consolator
If Y wolde go to hem, Y sat the firste; and whanne Y sat as kyng, while the oost stood aboute, netheles Y was comfortour of hem that morenyden.
