Job 31
1 I made a covenant with mine eyes, and I will not think upon a virgin.
I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn.
2 Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance [given] of the Mighty One from the highest?
For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis?
3 Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity.
Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse?
4 Will he not see my way, and number all my steps?
Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis?
5 But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit:
If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile,
6 (for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence: )
God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse.
7 if my foot has turned aside out of the way, or if mine heart has followed mine eye, and if too I have touched gifts with my 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 others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth.
sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root.
9 If my heart has gone forth after another man's wife, and if I laid wait at her doors;
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 also please another, and let my children be brought low.
and othir men be bowid doun on hir.
11 For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, [in the case] of defiling [another] man's wife.
For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.
12 For it is a fire burning on every side, and whoever it attacks, it utterly destroys.
Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns.
13 And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or [my] handmaid, when they pleaded 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 if the Lord should try me? and if also he should at all visit me, can I make an answer?
What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym?
15 Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yes, we were formed in the same womb.
Whether he, that wrouyte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe?
16 But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye 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 And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart [of it] to the orphan;
if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof;
18 (for I nourished [them] as a father from my youth and guided [them] 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 And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him;
if Y dispiside a man passynge forth, for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out hilyng;
20 and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were [not] warmed with the fleece of my lambs;
if hise sidis blessiden not me, and was not maad hoot of the fleeces of my scheep;
21 if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior [to his]:
if Y reiside myn hond on a fadirles child, yhe, whanne Y siy me the hiyere in the yate;
22 let them my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow.
my schuldre falle fro his ioynt, and myn arm with hise boonys be al to-brokun.
23 For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I can’t bear up by reason of his burden.
For euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on me; and `Y myyte not bere his birthun.
24 If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone;
If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist;
25 and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable [treasures]:
if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis;
26 (do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not [power to continue]: )
if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli;
27 and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it:
and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth;
28 let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I [should] have lied against the Lord Most High.
which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God;
29 And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha!
if Y hadde ioye at the fallyng of hym, that hatide me, and if Y ioide fulli, that yuel hadde founde hym;
30 let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a byword among my people in my affliction.
for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule;
31 And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind:
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 stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came: )
my dore was opyn to a weiegoere;
33 or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin;
if Y as man hidde my synne, and helide my wickidnesse in my bosum;
34 (for I did not stand in awe of a great multitude, so as not to declare boldly before them: ) and if too I permitted a poor man to go out of my door with an empty bosom:
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 a hearer, ) and if I had not feared the hand of the Lord; and [as to] the written charge which I had against any one,
who yyueth an helpere to me, that Almyyti God here my desire? that he that demeth,
36 I would place [it] as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it.
write a book, that Y bere it in my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me?
37 And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor:
Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce.
38 If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together;
If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it;
39 and if I ate its strength alone without price, and if I too grieved the heart of the owner of the soil, by taking [anything] from [him]:
if Y eet fruytis therof with out money, and Y turmentide the soule of erthetileris of it;
40 then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking.
a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli.
