Job 7
1 Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment?
Knyythod is lijf of man on erthe, and his daies ben as the daies of an hired man.
2 As a servant desiring the shades of evening, and a workman looking for his payment:
As an hert desireth schadowe, and as an hirede man abideth the ende of his werk;
3 So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.
so and Y hadde voide monethis, and Y noumbrede trauailous niytes to me.
4 When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.
If Y schal slepe, Y schal seie, Whanne schal Y rise? and eft Y schal abide the euentid, and Y schal be fillid with sorewis `til to derknessis.
5 My flesh is covered with worms and dust; my skin gets hard and then is cracked again.
Mi fleisch is clothid with rot, and filthis of dust; my skyn driede vp, and is drawun togidere.
6 My days go quicker than the cloth-worker's thread, and come to an end without hope.
My daies passiden swiftliere thanne a web is kit doun `of a webstere; and tho daies ben wastid with outen ony hope.
7 O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good.
God, haue thou mynde, for my lijf is wynde, and myn iye schal not turne ayen, that it se goodis.
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer: your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone.
Nethir the siyt of man schal biholde me; but thin iyen ben in me, and Y schal not `be in deedli lijf.
9 A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again. (Sheol h7585)
As a cloude is wastid, and passith, so he that goith doun to helle, schal not stie; (Sheol h7585)
10 He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.
nether schal turne ayen more in to his hows, and his place schal no more knowe hym.
11 So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.
Wherfor and Y schal not spare my mouth; Y schal speke in the tribulacioun of my spirit, Y schal talke togidere with the bitternesse of my soule.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me?
Whether Y am the see, ethir a whal, for thou hast cumpassid me with prisoun?
13 When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;
If Y seie, My bed schal coumfort me, and Y schal be releeuyd, spekynge with me in my bed;
14 Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear;
thou schalt make me aferd bi dremys, and thou schalt schake me with `orrour, ethir hidousnesse, `bi siytis.
15 So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.
Wherfor my soule `chees hangyng, and my boonys cheesiden deth.
16 I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.
`Y dispeiride, now Y schal no more lyue; Lord, spare thou me, for my daies ben nouyt.
17 What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him,
What is a man, for thou `magnifiest hym? ether what settist thou thin herte toward hym?
18 And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute?
Thou visitist hym eerly, and sudeynli thou preuest hym.
19 How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?
Hou long sparist thou not me, nether suffrist me, that Y swolowe my spotele?
20 If I have done wrong, what have I done to you, O keeper of men? why have you made me a mark for your blows, so that I am a weariness to myself?
Y haue synned; A! thou kepere of men, what schal Y do to thee? Whi hast thou set me contrarie to thee, and Y am maad greuouse to my silf?
21 And why do you not take away my sin, and let my wrongdoing be ended? for now I go down to the dust, and you will be searching for me with care, but I will be gone.
Whi doist thou not awei my sinne, and whi takist thou not awei my wickidnesse? Lo! now Y schal slepe in dust, and if thou sekist me eerli, Y schal not abide.
