Job 16
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis;
Then Job answered and said,
2 alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris.
I have heard many 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 vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
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 also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
5 Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you.
But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
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 speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
7 But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt.
But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
8 My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me.
And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to 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.
He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
10 Thei openyden her mouthis on me, and thei seiden schenschip, and smytiden my cheke; and thei ben fillid with my peynes.
They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
11 God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men.
El hath delivered me to the perverse, and turned me over into 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 at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
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 compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 He beet me with wounde on wounde; he as a giaunt felde in on me.
He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
15 Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische.
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
16 My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke.
My face is foul with weeping, and my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God.
Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
18 Erthe, hile thou not my blood, and my cry fynde not in thee a place of hidyng.
O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
19 `For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places.
Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
20 A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God.
My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto Eloah.
21 And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe.
O that one might plead for a man with Eloah, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
22 `For lo! schorte yeeris passen, and Y go a path, bi which Y schal not turne ayen.
When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
