Job 14
1 A man is borun of a womman, and lyueth schort tyme, and is fillid with many wretchidnessis.
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 Which goith out, and is defoulid as a flour; and fleeth as schadewe, and dwellith neuere perfitli in the same staat.
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 And gessist thou it worthi to opene thin iyen on siche a man; and to brynge hym in to doom with thee?
And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
4 Who may make a man clene conseyued of vnclene seed? Whether not thou, which art aloone?
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 The daies of man ben schorte, the noumbre of his monethis is at thee; thou hast set, ethir ordeyned, hise termes, whiche moun not be passid.
Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 Therfor go thou awey fro hym a litil, `that is, bi withdrawyng of bodili lijf, that he haue reste; til the meede coueitid come, and his dai is as the dai of an hirid man.
Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
7 A tree hath hope, if it is kit doun; and eft it wexith greene, and hise braunches spreden forth.
For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 If the roote therof is eeld in the erthe, and the stok therof is nyy deed in dust;
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 it schal buriowne at the odour of watir, and it schal make heer, as whanne it was plauntid first.
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10 But whanne a man is deed, and maad nakid, and wastid; Y preye, where is he?
But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 As if watris goen awei fro the see, and a ryuer maad voide wexe drie,
As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
12 so a man, whanne he hath slept, `that is, deed, he schal not rise ayen, til heuene be brokun, `that is, be maad newe; he schal not wake, nether he schal ryse togidere fro his sleep.
So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
13 Who yiueth this to me, that thou defende me in helle, and that thou hide me, til thi greet veniaunce passe; and thou sette to me a tyme, in which thou haue mynde on me? (Sheol h7585)
O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! (Sheol h7585)
14 Gessist thou, whethir a deed man schal lyue ayen? In alle the daies, in whiche Y holde knyythod, now Y abide, til my chaungyng come.
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
15 Thou schalt clepe me, and Y schal answere thee; thou schalt dresse the riyt half, `that is, blis, to the werk of thin hondis.
Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
16 Sotheli thou hast noumbrid my steppis; but spare thou my synnes.
For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
17 Thou hast seelid as in a bagge my trespassis, but thou hast curid my wickidnesse.
My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
18 An hil fallynge droppith doun; and a rooche of stoon is borun ouer fro his place.
And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
19 Watris maken stoonys holowe, and the erthe is wastid litil and litil bi waischyng a wey of watir; and therfor thou schalt leese men in lijk maner.
The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou madist a man strong a litil, that he schulde passe with outen ende; thou schalt chaunge his face, and schalt sende hym out.
Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 Whether hise sones ben noble, ether vnnoble, he schal not vndurstonde.
His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
22 Netheles his fleisch, while he lyueth, schal haue sorewe, and his soule schal morne on hym silf.
But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.
