Job 31
1 A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn.
2 Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis?
3 Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse?
4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis?
5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile,
6 Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse.
7 If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
If my step bowide fro the weie; if myn iye suede myn herte, and a spotte cleuede to myn hondis;
8 Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root.
9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
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 Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
and othir men be bowid doun on hir.
11 Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.
12 Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns.
13 If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden ayens me.
14 What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym?
15 Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
Whether he, that wrouyte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe?
16 If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
If Y denyede to pore men that, that thei wolden, and if Y made the iyen of a wydewe to abide;
17 Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof;
18 Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
for merciful doyng encreesside with me fro my yong childhed, and yede out of my modris wombe with me;
19 If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
if Y dispiside a man passynge forth, for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out hilyng;
20 If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
if hise sidis blessiden not me, and was not maad hoot of the fleeces of my scheep;
21 If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
if Y reiside myn hond on a fadirles child, yhe, whanne Y siy me the hiyere in the yate;
22 Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
my schuldre falle fro his ioynt, and myn arm with hise boonys be al to-brokun.
23 For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
For euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on me; and `Y myyte not bere his birthun.
24 If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist;
25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis;
26 If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli;
27 And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth;
28 That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God;
29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity 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 Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule;
31 If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get 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 Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
my dore was opyn to a weiegoere;
33 If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
if Y as man hidde my synne, and helide my wickidnesse in my bosum;
34 Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of 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 Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
who yyueth an helpere to me, that Almyyti God here my desire? that he that demeth,
36 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
write a book, that Y bere it in my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me?
37 The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce.
38 If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it;
39 If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
if Y eet fruytis therof with out money, and Y turmentide the soule of erthetileris of it;
40 Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli.
