Job 4
1 respondens autem Eliphaz Themanites dixit
Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
2 si coeperimus loqui tibi forsitan moleste accipias sed conceptum sermonem tenere quis possit
If we bigynnen to speke to thee, in hap thou schalt take it heuyli; but who may holde a word conseyued?
3 ecce docuisti multos et manus lassas roborasti
Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
4 vacillantes confirmaverunt sermones tui et genua trementia confortasti
Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge.
5 nunc autem venit super te plaga et defecisti tetigit te et conturbatus es
But now a wounde is comun on thee, and thou hast failid; it touchide thee, and thou art disturblid.
6 timor tuus fortitudo tua patientia tua et perfectio viarum tuarum
Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies?
7 recordare obsecro te quis umquam innocens perierit aut quando recti deleti sint
Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei?
8 quin potius vidi eos qui operantur iniquitatem et seminant dolores et metunt eos
Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis,
9 flante Deo perisse et spiritu irae eius esse consumptos
and repen tho, to haue perischid bi God blowynge, and to be wastid bi the spirit of his ire.
10 rugitus leonis et vox leaenae et dentes catulorum leonum contriti sunt
The roryng of a lioun, and the vois of a lionesse, and the teeth of `whelpis of liouns ben al to-brokun.
11 tigris periit eo quod non haberet praedam et catuli leonis dissipati sunt
Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried.
12 porro ad me dictum est verbum absconditum et quasi furtive suscepit auris mea venas susurri eius
Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof.
13 in horrore visionis nocturnae quando solet sopor occupare homines
In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men,
14 pavor tenuit me et tremor et omnia ossa mea perterrita sunt
drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd.
15 et cum spiritus me praesente transiret inhorruerunt pili carnis meae
And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse.
16 stetit quidam cuius non agnoscebam vultum imago coram oculis meis et vocem quasi aurae lenis audivi
Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd.
17 numquid homo Dei conparatione iustificabitur aut factore suo purior erit vir
Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere?
18 ecce qui serviunt ei non sunt stabiles et in angelis suis repperit pravitatem
Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels.
19 quanto magis hii qui habitant domos luteas qui terrenum habent fundamentum consumentur velut a tinea
Hou myche more thei that dwellen in housis of cley, that han an ertheli foundement, schulen be wastyd as of a mouyte.
20 de mane usque ad vesperum succidentur et quia nullus intellegit in aeternum peribunt
Fro morewtid til to euentid thei schulen be kit doun; and for no man vndurstondith, thei schulen perische with outen ende.
21 qui autem reliqui fuerint auferentur ex eis morientur et non in sapientia
Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom.
