Job 16

1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis;

Bvt Iob answered, and said,

2 alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris.

I haue oft times heard such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

3 Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist?

Shall there be none ende of wordes of winde? or what maketh thee bold so to answere?

4 Also Y myyte speke thingis lijk to you, and `Y wolde, that youre soule were for my soule; and Y wolde coumfort you by wordis, and Y wolde moue myn heed on you;

I could also speake as yee doe: (but woulde God your soule were in my soules stead) I could keepe you company in speaking, and could shake mine head at you,

5 Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you.

But I woulde strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips should asswage your sorowe.

6 But what schal Y do? If Y speke, my sorewe restith not; and if Y am stille, it goith not awei fro me.

Though I speake, my sorow can not be asswaged: though I cease, what release haue I?

7 But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt.

But now hee maketh mee wearie: O God, thou hast made all my congregation desolate,

8 My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me.

And hast made me full of wrinkles which is a witnesse thereof, and my leannes ryseth vp in me, testifying the same in my face.

9 He gaderide togidere his woodnesse in me, and he manaasside me, and gnastide ayens me with his teeth; myn enemye bihelde me with ferdful iyen.

His wrath hath torne me, and hee hateth me, and gnasheth vpon mee with his teeth: mine enemie hath sharpened his eyes against me.

10 Thei openyden her mouthis on me, and thei seiden schenschip, and smytiden my cheke; and thei ben fillid with my peynes.

They haue opened their mouthes vpon me, and smitten me on the cheeke in reproch; they gather themselues together against me.

11 God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men.

God hath deliuered me to the vniust, and hath made mee to turne out of the way by the hands of the wicked.

12 Y thilke riche man and famouse sum tyme, am al to brokun sudeynli; `he helde my nol; he hath broke me, and hath set me as in to a signe.

I was in welth, but he hath brought me to nought: he hath taken me by the necke, and beaten me, and set me as a marke for himselfe.

13 He hath cumpasside me with hise speris, he woundide togidere my leendis; he sparide not, and schedde out myn entrails in to the erthe.

His archers compasse mee rounde about: he cutteth my reines, and doth not spare, and powreth my gall vpon the ground.

14 He beet me with wounde on wounde; he as a giaunt felde in on me.

He hath broken me with one breaking vpon another, and runneth vpon me like a gyant.

15 Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische.

I haue sowed a sackcloth vpon my skinne, and haue abased mine horne vnto the dust.

16 My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke.

My face is withered with weeping, and the shadow of death is vpon mine eyes,

17 Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God.

Though there be no wickednesse in mine hands, and my prayer be pure.

18 Erthe, hile thou not my blood, and my cry fynde not in thee a place of hidyng.

O earth, couer not thou my blood, and let my crying finde no place.

19 `For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places.

For lo, now my witnesse is in the heauen, and my record is on hie.

20 A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God.

My friends speake eloquently against me: but mine eye powreth out teares vnto God.

21 And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe.

Oh that a man might pleade with God, as man with his neighbour!

22 `For lo! schorte yeeris passen, and Y go a path, bi which Y schal not turne ayen.

For the yeeres accounted come, and I shall go the way, whence I shall not returne.