< Job 38 >

1 Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,
Respondens autem Dominus Iob de turbine, dixit:
2 and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
Quis est iste involvens sententias sermonibus imperitis?
3 Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.
Accinge sicut vir lumbos tuos: interrogabo te, et responde mihi.
4 Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.
Ubi eras quando ponebam fundamenta terræ? indica mihi si habes intelligentiam.
5 Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
Quis posuit mensuras eius, si nosti? vel quis tetendit super eam lineam?
6 On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof,
Super quo bases illius solidatæ sunt? aut quis demisit lapidem angularem eius,
7 whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli?
Cum me laudarent simul astra matutina, et iubilarent omnes filii Dei?
8 Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe?
Quis conclusit ostiis mare, quando erumpebat quasi de vulva procedens:
9 Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed.
Cum ponerem nubem vestimentum eius, et caligine illud quasi pannis infantiæ obvolverem?
10 Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;
Circumdedi illud terminis meis, et posui vectem, et ostia:
11 and Y seide, `Til hidur thou schalt come, and thou schalt not go forth ferthere; and here thou schalt breke togidere thi bolnynge wawis.
Et dixi: Usque huc venies, et non procedes amplius, et hic confringes tumentes fluctus tuos.
12 Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?
Numquid post ortum tuum præcepisti diluculo, et ostendisti auroræ locum suum?
13 Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro?
Et tenuisti concutiens extrema terræ, et excussisti impios ex ea?
14 A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth.
Restituetur ut lutum signaculum, et stabit sicut vestimentum:
15 The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun.
Auferetur ab impiis lux sua, et brachium excelsum confringetur.
16 Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian?
Numquid ingressus es profunda maris, et in novissimis abyssi deambulasti?
17 Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris?
Numquid apertæ sunt tibi portæ mortis, et ostia tenebrosa vidisti?
18 Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis,
Numquid considerasti latitudinem terræ? indica mihi, si nosti, omnia.
19 in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse;
In qua via lux habitet, et tenebrarum quis locus sit:
20 that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.
Ut ducas unumquodque ad terminos suos, et intelligas semitas domus eius.
21 Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?
Sciebas tunc quod nasciturus esses? et numerum dierum tuorum noveras?
22 Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail?
Numquid ingressus es thesauros nivis, aut thesauros grandinis aspexisti,
23 whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel.
Quæ præparavi in tempus hostis, in diem pugnæ et belli?
24 Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe?
Per quam viam spargitur lux, dividitur æstus super terram?
25 Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
Quis dedit vehementissimo imbri cursum, et viam sonantis tonitrui,
26 and weie of the thundur sownynge? That it schulde reyne on the erthe with out man in desert, where noon of deedli men dwellith?
Ut plueret super terram absque homine in deserto, ubi nullus mortalium commoratur,
27 That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis?
Ut impleret inviam et desolatam, et produceret herbas virentes?
28 Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew?
Quis est pluviæ pater? vel quis genuit stillas roris?
29 Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene?
De cuius utero egressa est glacies? et gelu de cælo quis genuit?
30 Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.
In similitudinem lapidis aquæ durantur, et superficies abyssi constringitur.
31 Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis?
Numquid coniungere valebis micantes stellas Pleiadas, aut gyrum Arcturi poteris dissipare?
32 Whether thou bryngist forth Lucifer, `that is, dai sterre, in his tyme, and makist euene sterre to rise on the sones of erthe?
Numquid producis Luciferum in tempore suo, et Vesperum super filios terræ consurgere facis?
33 Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?
Numquid nosti ordinem cæli, et pones rationem eius in terra?
34 Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?
Numquid elevabis in nebula vocem tuam, et impetus aquarum operiet te?
35 Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present?
Numquid mittes fulgura, et ibunt, et revertentia dicent tibi: Adsumus?
36 Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?
Quis posuit in visceribus hominis sapientiam? vel quis dedit gallo intelligentiam?
37 Who schal telle out the resoun of heuenes, and who schal make acordyng of heuene to sleep?
Quis enarrabit cælorum rationem, et concentum cæli quis dormire faciet?
38 Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere?
Quando fundebatur pulvis in terra, et glebæ compingebantur?
39 Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis,
Numquid capies leænæ prædam, et animam catulorum eius implebis,
40 whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes?
Quando cubant in antris, et in specubus insidiantur?
41 Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis?
Quis præparat corvo escam suam, quando pulli eius clamant ad Deum, vagantes, eo quod non habeant cibos?

< Job 38 >