Job 31
1 I made a covenant with my eyes. How then should I look upon a virgin?
I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn.
2 For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis?
3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse?
4 Does he not see my ways, and number all my steps?
Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis?
5 If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hastened to deceit
If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile,
6 (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse.
7 if my step has turned out of the way, and my heart walked after my eyes, and if any spot has clung to my hands,
If my step bowide fro the weie; if myn iye suede myn herte, and a spotte cleuede to myn hondis;
8 then let me sow, and let another eat, yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root.
9 If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor's door,
If myn herte was disseyued on a womman, and if Y settide aspies at the dore of my frend; my wijf be the hoore of anothir man,
10 then let my wife grind to another, and let others bow down upon her.
and othir men be bowid doun on hir.
11 For that is a heinous crime, yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.
12 For it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns.
13 If I have despised the case of my man-servant or of my maid-servant when they contended with me,
If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden ayens me.
14 what then shall I do when God rises up? And when he visits, what shall I answer him?
What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym?
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?
Whether he, that wrouyte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe?
16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
If Y denyede to pore men that, that thei wolden, and if Y made the iyen of a wydewe to abide;
17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof;
18 (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and her I have guided from my mother's womb);
for merciful doyng encreesside with me fro my yong childhed, and yede out of my modris wombe with me;
19 if I have seen any perish for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
if Y dispiside a man passynge forth, for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out hilyng;
20 if his loins have not blessed me, and if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
if hise sidis blessiden not me, and was not maad hoot of the fleeces of my scheep;
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,
if Y reiside myn hond on a fadirles child, yhe, whanne Y siy me the hiyere in the yate;
22 then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
my schuldre falle fro his ioynt, and myn arm with hise boonys be al to-brokun.
23 For calamity from God is a terror to me, and I can do nothing because of his majesty.
For euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on me; and `Y myyte not bere his birthun.
24 If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, Thou are my confidence;
If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist;
25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis;
26 if I have beheld the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in brightness,
if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli;
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand
and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth;
28 (this also is an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God that is above);
which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God;
29 if I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
if Y hadde ioye at the fallyng of hym, that hatide me, and if Y ioide fulli, that yuel hadde founde hym;
30 (yea, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule;
31 if the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one who has not been filled with his food?
if the men of my tabernacle seiden not, Who yyueth, that we be fillid of hise fleischis? a pilgryme dwellide not with outforth;
32 (the sojourner has not lodged in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
my dore was opyn to a weiegoere;
33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions by hiding my iniquity in my bosom
if Y as man hidde my synne, and helide my wickidnesse in my bosum;
34 because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me so that I kept silence, and did not go out of the door-
if Y dredde at ful greet multitude, and if dispisyng of neyyboris made me aferd; and not more Y was stille, and yede not out of the dore;
35 O that I had someone to hear me (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me), and that I had the indictment which my adversary has written!
who yyueth an helpere to me, that Almyyti God here my desire? that he that demeth,
36 Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder. I would bind it to me as a crown.
write a book, that Y bere it in my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me?
37 I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him as a prince.
Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce.
38 If my land cries out against me, and the furrows of it weep together;
If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it;
39 if I have eaten the fruits of it without money, or have caused the owners of it to lose their lives,
if Y eet fruytis therof with out money, and Y turmentide the soule of erthetileris of it;
40 let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli.
