Job 30
1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I disdained to set with the dogs of my flock.
But now yongere men in tyme scornen me, whos fadris Y deynede not to sette with the doggis of my flok.
2 Yea, the strength of their hands, whereto should it profit me? men in whom ripe age is perished.
Of whiche men the vertu of hondis was for nouyt to me, and thei weren gessid vnworthi to that lijf.
3 They are gaunt with want and famine; they gnaw the dry ground; in the gloom of wasteness and desolation.
Thei weren bareyn for nedynesse and hungur; that gnawiden in wildirnesse, and weren pale for pouert and wretchidnesse;
4 They pluck salt-wort by the bushes; and the roots of the broom [are] their meat.
and eeten eerbis, aud the ryndis of trees; and the roote of iunyperis was her mete.
5 They are driven forth from the midst [of men]; they cry after them as after a thief.
Whiche men rauyschiden these thingis fro grete valeis; and whanne thei hadden foundun ony of alle, thei runnen with cry to tho.
6 In the clefts of the valleys must they dwell, in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
Thei dwelliden in deseertis of strondis, and in caues of erthe, ethir on grauel, `ethir on cley.
7 Among the bushes they bray; under the nettles they are gathered together.
Whiche weren glad among siche thingis, and arettiden delices to be vndur buschis.
8 [They are] children of fools, yea, children of base men; they were scourged out of the land.
The sones of foolis and of vnnoble men, and outirli apperynge not in erthe.
9 And now I am become their song, yea, I am a byword unto them.
But now Y am turned in to the song of hem, and Y am maad a prouerbe to hem.
10 They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
Thei holden me abhomynable, and fleen fer fro me, and dreden not to spete on my face.
11 For he hath loosed his cord, and afflicted me, and they have cast off the bridle before me.
For God hath openyd his arowe caas, and hath turmentid me, and hath set a bridil in to my mouth.
12 Upon my right hand rise the rabble; they thrust aside my feet, and they cast up against me their ways of destruction.
At the riytside of the eest my wretchidnessis risiden anoon; thei turneden vpsedoun my feet, and oppressiden with her pathis as with floodis.
13 They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, [even] men that have no helper.
Thei destrieden my weies; thei settiden tresoun to me, and hadden the maistri; and `noon was that helpide.
14 As through a wide breach they come: in the midst of the ruin they roll themselves [upon me].
Thei felden in on me as bi a brokun wal, and bi yate openyd, and weren stretchid forth to my wretchidnessis.
15 Terrors are turned upon me, they chase mine honour as the wind; and my welfare is passed away as a cloud.
Y am dryuun in to nouyt; he took awei my desir as wynd, and myn helpe passide awei as a cloude.
16 And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
But now my soule fadith in my silf, and daies of turment holden me stidfastly.
17 In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the [pains] that gnaw me take no rest.
In nyyt my boon is persid with sorewis; and thei, that eten me, slepen not.
18 By the great force [of my disease] is my garment disfigured: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.
In the multitude of tho my cloth is wastid, and thei han gird me as with coler of a coote.
19 He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.
Y am comparisound to cley, and Y am maad lijk to a deed sparcle and aisch.
20 I cry unto thee, and thou dost not answer me: I stand up, and thou lookest at me.
Y schal cry to thee, and thou schalt not here me; Y stonde, and thou biholdist not me.
21 Thou art turned to be cruel to me: with the might of thy hand thou persecutest me.
Thou art chaungid in to cruel to me, and in the hardnesse of thin hond thou art aduersarie to me.
22 Thou liftest me up to the wind, thou causest me to ride [upon it]; and thou dissolvest me in the storm.
Thou hast reisid me, and hast set as on wynd; and hast hurtlid me doun strongli.
23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.
Y woot, that thow schalt bitake me to deeth, where an hows is ordeyned to ech lyuynge man.
24 Surely against a ruinous heap he will not put forth his hand; though [it be] in his destruction, [one may utter] a cry because of these things.
Netheles thou sendist not out thin hond to the wastyng of hem; and if thei fallen doun, thou schalt saue.
25 Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the needy?
Y wepte sum tyme on him, that was turmentid, and my soule hadde compassioun on a pore man.
26 When I looked for good, then evil came; and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
Y abood goodis, and yuelis ben comun to me; Y abood liyt, and derknessis braken out.
27 My bowels boil, and rest not; days of affliction are come upon me.
Myn ynnere thingis buyliden out with outen my reste; daies of turment camen bifor me.
28 I go mourning without the sun: I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
Y yede morenynge, and Y roos with out woodnesse in the cumpenye, and criede.
29 I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.
Y was the brother of dragouns, and the felow of ostrigis.
30 My skin is black, [and falleth] from me, and my bones are burned with heat.
My skyn was maad blak on me, and my boonys drieden for heete.
31 Therefore is my harp [turned] to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of them that weep.
Myn harpe is turned in to morenyng, and myn orgun in to the vois of weperis.
