Job 9
1 And Job made answer and said,
Joob answeride, and seide, Verili Y woot, that it is so,
2 Truly, I see that it is so: and how is it possible for a man to get his right before God?
and that a man comparisound to God schal not be maad iust.
3 If a man was desiring to go to law with him, he would not be able to give him an answer to one out of a thousand questions.
If he wole stryue with God, he may not answere to God oon for a thousynde.
4 He is wise in heart and great in strength: who ever made his face hard against him, and any good came of it?
He is wiys in herte, and strong in myyt; who ayenstood hym, and hadde pees?
5 It is he who takes away the mountains without their knowledge, overturning them in his wrath:
Which bar hillis fro o place to anothir, and thei wisten not; whiche he distriede in his strong veniaunce.
6 Who is moving the earth out of its place, so that its pillars are shaking:
Which stirith the erthe fro his place, and the pilers therof schulen `be schakun togidere.
7 Who gives orders to the sun, and it does not give its light; and who keeps the stars from shining.
Which comaundith to the sunne, and it risith not; and he closith the sterris, as vndur a signet.
8 By whose hand the heavens were stretched out, and who is walking on the waves of the sea:
Which aloone stretchith forth heuenes, and goith on the wawis of the see.
9 Who made the Bear and Orion, and the Pleiades, and the store-houses of the south:
Which makith Ariture, and Orionas, and Hiadas, `that is, seuene sterris, and the innere thingis of the south.
10 Who does great things not to be searched out; yes, wonders without number.
Which makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis, of whiche is noon noumbre.
11 See, he goes past me and I see him not: he goes on before, but I have no knowledge of him.
If he cometh to me, `that is, bi his grace, Y schal not se hym; if he goith awey, `that is, in withdrawynge his grace, Y schal not vndurstonde.
12 If he puts out his hand to take, by whom may it be turned back? who may say to him, What are you doing?
If he axith sodeynli, who schal answere to hym? ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?
13 God's wrath may not be turned back; the helpers of Rahab were bent down under him.
`God is he, whos wraththe no man may withstonde; and vndur whom thei ben bowid, that beren the world.
14 How much less may I give an answer to him, using the right words in argument with him?
Hou greet am Y, that Y answere to hym, and speke bi my wordis with hym?
15 Even if my cause was good, I would not be able to give an answer; I would make request for grace from him who was against me.
Which also schal not answere, thouy Y haue ony thing iust; but Y schal biseche my iuge.
16 If I had sent for him to be present, and he had come, I would have no faith that he would give ear to my voice.
And whanne he hath herd me inwardli clepynge, Y bileue not, that he hath herd my vois.
17 For I would be crushed by his storm, my wounds would be increased without cause.
For in a whirlewynd he schal al to-breke me, and he schal multiplie my woundis, yhe, without cause.
18 He would not let me take my breath, but I would be full of bitter grief.
He grauntith not, that my spirit haue reste, and he fillith me with bittirnesses.
19 If it is a question of strength, he says, Here I am! and if it is a question of a cause at law, he says, Who will give me a fixed day?
If strengthe is souyt, `he is moost strong; if equyte of doom is souyt, no man dar yelde witnessynge for me.
20 Though I was in the right, he would say that I was in the wrong; I have done no evil; but he says that I am a sinner.
If Y wole make me iust, my mouth schal dampne me; if Y schal schewe me innocent, he schal preue me a schrewe.
21 I have done no wrong; I give no thought to what becomes of me; I have no desire for life.
Yhe, thouy Y am symple, my soule schal not knowe this same thing; and it schal anoye me of my lijf.
22 It is all the same to me; so I say, He puts an end to the sinner and to him who has done no wrong together.
O thing is, which Y spak, he schal waste `bi deth also the innocent and wickid man.
23 If death comes suddenly through disease, he makes sport of the fate of those who have done no wrong.
If he betith, sle he onys, and leiye he not of the peynes of innocent men.
24 The land is given into the power of the evil-doer; the faces of its judges are covered; if not by him, then who has done it?
The erthe is youun in to the hondis of the wickid; he hilith the face of iugis; that if he is not, who therfor is?
25 My days go quicker than a post-runner: they go in flight, they see no good.
Mi daies weren swiftere than a corour; thei fledden, and sien not good.
26 They go rushing on like reed-boats, like an eagle dropping suddenly on its food.
Thei passiden as schippis berynge applis, as an egle fleynge to mete.
27 If I say, I will put my grief out of mind, I will let my face be sad no longer and I will be bright;
Whanne Y seie, Y schal not speke so; Y chaunge my face, and Y am turmentid with sorewe.
28 I go in fear of all my pains; I am certain that I will not be free from sin in your eyes.
Y drede alle my werkis, witynge that thou `woldist not spare the trespassour.
29 You will not let me be clear of sin! why then do I take trouble for nothing?
Sotheli if Y am also thus wickid, whi haue Y trauelid in veyn?
30 If I am washed with snow water, and make my hands clean with soap;
Thouy Y am waischun as with watris of snow, and thouy myn hondis schynen as moost cleene,
31 Then you will have me pushed into the dust, so that I will seem disgusting to my very clothing.
netheles thou schalt dippe me in filthis, and my clothis, `that is, werkis, schulen holde me abhomynable.
32 For he is not a man as I am, that I might give him an answer, that we might come together before a judge.
Trewli Y schal not answere a man, which is lijk me; nether that may be herd euenli with me in doom.
33 There is no one to give a decision between us, who might have control over us.
`Noon is, that may repreue euer eithir, and sette his hond in bothe.
34 Let him take away his rod from me and not send his fear on me:
Do he awei his yerde fro me, and his drede make not me aferd.
35 Then I would say what is in my mind without fear of him; for there is no cause of fear in myself.
Y schal speke, and Y schal not drede hym; for Y may not answere dredynge.
