Job 31
1 I MADE a covenant with mine eyes; how then should I look upon a maid?
I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn.
2 For what [is] the portion of God from above, and the heritage of the Almighty from 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 Doth not he 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 vanity, and my foot hath hasted 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 mine integrity; )
God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse.
7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any spot hath cleaved to mine 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 mine heart have been enticed unto a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbour’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 unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
and othir men be bowid doun on hir.
11 For that were an heinous crime; yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.
12 For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns.
13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, 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 riseth up? and when he visiteth, 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 that 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 hath not eaten thereof;
if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof;
18 (Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have been her guide 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 want 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 were not 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 mine 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 was a terror to me, and by reason of his excellency I could do nothing.
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 art] my confidence;
If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist;
25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis;
26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli;
27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, and my mouth hath kissed my hand:
and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth;
28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges: for I should have lied to God that is above.
which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God;
29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that 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 suffered not 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 said not, Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his flesh?
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 stranger did not lodge in the street; but I opened my doors to the traveller;
my dore was opyn to a weiegoere;
33 If like Adam I covered my transgressions, by hiding mine 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 went not 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 Oh that I had one to hear me! (lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me; ) and [that I had] the indictment which mine adversary hath 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 unto 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 unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce.
38 If my land cry out against me, and the furrows thereof weep together;
If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it;
39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
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.
