Job 31
1 I reached an agreement with my eyes, that I would not so much as think about a virgin.
I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn.
2 For what portion should God from above hold for me, and what inheritance should the Almighty from on high keep?
For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis?
3 Is not destruction held for the wicked and repudiation kept for those who work injustice?
Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse?
4 Does he not examine my ways and number all my steps?
Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis?
5 If I have walked in vanity, or if my foot has hurried towards deceitfulness,
If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile,
6 let him weigh me in a just balance, and let God know my simplicity.
God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse.
7 If my steps have turned aside from the way, or if my heart has followed my eyes, or if a blemish 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 may I sow, and let another consume, and let my offspring be eradicated.
sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root.
9 If my heart has been deceived over a woman, or if I have waited in ambush at my friend’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 be the harlot of another, and let other men lean over her.
and othir men be bowid doun on hir.
11 For this is a crime and a very great injustice.
For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.
12 It is a fire devouring all the way to perdition, and it roots out all that springs forth.
Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns.
13 If I have despised being subject to judgment with my servant or my maid, when they had any complaint against me,
If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden ayens me.
14 then what will I do when God rises to judge, and, when he inquires, how will I respond to him?
What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym?
15 Is not he who created me in the womb, also he who labored to make him? And did not one and the same form me 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 denied the poor what they wanted and have made the eyes of the widow wait;
If Y denyede to pore men that, that thei wolden, and if Y made the iyen of a wydewe to abide;
17 if I have eaten my morsel of food alone, while orphans have not eaten from it;
if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof;
18 (for from my infancy mercy grew with me, and it came out with me 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 looked down on him who was perishing because he had no clothing and the poor without any covering,
if Y dispiside a man passynge forth, for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out hilyng;
20 if his sides 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 over an orphan, even when it might seem to me that I have the advantage over him at the gate;
if Y reiside myn hond on a fadirles child, yhe, whanne Y siy me the hiyere in the yate;
22 then may my shoulder fall from its joint, and may my arm, with all its bones, be broken.
my schuldre falle fro his ioynt, and myn arm with hise boonys be al to-brokun.
23 For I have always feared God, like waves flowing over me, whose weight I was unable to bear.
For euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on me; and `Y myyte not bere his birthun.
24 If I have considered gold to be my strength, or if I have called purified gold ‘my Trust;’
If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist;
25 if I have rejoiced over my great success, and over the many things my hand has obtained;
if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis;
26 if I gazed upon the sun when it shined and the moon advancing brightly,
if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli;
27 so that my heart rejoiced in secret and I kissed my hand with my mouth,
and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth;
28 which is a very great iniquity and a denial against the most high God;
which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God;
29 if I have been glad at the ruin of him who hated me and have exulted that 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 for I have not been given my throat to sin by asking for a curse on his soul;
for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule;
31 if the men around my tabernacle have not said: “He might give us some of his food, so that we will be filled,”
if the men of my tabernacle seiden not, Who yyueth, that we be fillid of hise fleischis? a pilgryme dwellide not with outforth;
32 for the foreigner did not remain at the door, my door was open to the traveler;
my dore was opyn to a weiegoere;
33 if, as man does, I have hidden my sin and have concealed my iniquity in my bosom;
if Y as man hidde my synne, and helide my wickidnesse in my bosum;
34 if I became frightened by an excessive crowd, and the disrespect of close relatives alarmed me, so that I would much rather have remained silent or have gone out 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 then, would he grant me a hearing, so that the Almighty would listen to my desire, and he who judges would himself write a book,
who yyueth an helpere to me, that Almyyti God here my desire? that he that demeth,
36 which I would then carry on my shoulder and wrap around me like a crown?
write a book, that Y bere it in my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me?
37 With each of my steps, I would pronounce and offer it, as if to a prince.
Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce.
38 So, if my land cries out against me, and if its furrows weep with it,
If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it;
39 if I have used its fruits for nothing but money and have afflicted the souls of its tillers,
if Y eet fruytis therof with out money, and Y turmentide the soule of erthetileris of it;
40 then, may thistles spring forth for me instead of grain, and thorns instead of barley. (This ended the words of Job.)
a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli.
