Job 21
1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide,
約伯回答說：
2 Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce.
你們且聽一聽我的話! 這也算是你們給我的安慰。
3 Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi.
請讓我發言，我說完後，任你們笑罵。
4 Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori?
我豈是抱怨人﹖我失了忍耐，難道沒有理由﹖
5 Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth.
你們注意聽我，必要吃驚，且要用手堵住口。
6 And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch.
甚至我一回想，我就恐怖，全身戰慄。
7 Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis.
惡人為何享受高壽而勢力強大﹖
8 Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt.
他們在世時，子孫昌盛，親眼看見子子孫孫。
9 Her housis ben sikur, and pesible; and the yerde of God is not on hem.
他們的住宅平安，無所畏懼，天主的棍杖也不加在他們身上。
10 The cow of hem conseyuede, and caluede not a deed calf; the cow caluyde, and is not priued of hir calf.
他們的公牛交尾，無不成功；母牛產子，決無流產。
11 Her litle children goen out as flockis; and her yonge children `maken fulli ioye with pleies.
他們使孩子跑出像羊群，子女跳躍如麋鹿。
12 Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun.
他們伴著手鼓與豎琴歌唱，隨著笛聲歡呼。
他們幸福地度過天年，平安地降入陰府。 (Sheol h7585)
14 Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies.
但他們曾向天主說：「離開我們! 我們不願知道你的道路。
15 Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him?
全能者是誰，竟叫我們事奉他﹖我們祈求他有什麼好處﹖」
16 Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me.
看啊! 他們的幸福，豈不在他們掌握中﹖惡人的思想豈不離他很遠﹖
17 Hou ofte schal the lanterne of wickid men be quenchid, and flowing schal come on hem, and God schal departe the sorewis of his stronge veniaunce?
惡人的燈有多少次熄滅過﹖災禍有多少次降在他們身上﹖天主何嘗因忿怒而消滅他們﹖
18 Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood.
使他們好像被風吹的碎湝﹖好像被暴風捲去的糠秕﹖
19 God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite.
難道天主要向他的兒子討罪債﹖其實應向他本人報復，叫他覺悟!
20 Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God.
叫他親眼看見自己的毀滅，親自飲下全能者的義怒之杯。
21 For whi what perteyneth it to hym of his hows aftir hym, thouy the noumbre of his monethis be half takun awey?
他既逝去，他本人的歲月已絕，他的家庭對他還有什麼相干﹖
22 Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye?
天主既審判天上者，人豈能教給他什麼智識﹖
23 This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie.
有人到死一無所缺，享盡了平安幸福。
24 Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis.
他的腰部充滿脂肪，他的骨髓潤澤豐盈；
25 Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis.
但有人卻至死心靈酸苦，一生毫無福樂；
26 And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem.
他們卻一同埋於塵土，為蛆蟲所掩蓋。
27 Certis Y knowe youre wickid thouytis, and sentensis ayens me.
我確知你們的思想，以及對我所籌劃的陰謀。
28 For ye seien, Where is the hows of the prince? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men?
你們要問：「霸王的家在那裏﹖惡人住的帳幕在何處﹖」
29 Axe ye ech of `the weie goeris; and ye schulen knowe, that he vndurstondith these same thingis,
你們怎麼不問過路的人﹖難道你們不承認他們的證據﹖
30 that an yuel man schal be kept in to the dai of perdicioun, and schal be led to the dai of woodnesse.
「惡人在毀滅之日不受害，在憤怒之日會得救。」
31 Who schal repreue hise weies bifor hym? and who schal yelde to hym tho thingis, whiche he hath doon?
他的動作，誰敢當面指摘﹖他的行為，誰能報復﹖
32 He schal be led to the sepulcris; and he schal wake in the heep of deed men.
他最後被抬入墳墓，且親自守護自己的墓地。
33 He was swete to the `stoonys, ether filthis, of helle; and drawith ech man aftir hym, and vnnoumbrable men bifor him.
谷中的土壤，他感覺甘美；眾人都跟他而去，但在他前面的人，更不可勝數。
34 Hou therfor coumforten ye me in veyn, sithen youre answeris ben schewid to `repugne to treuthe?
你們為何說空話來安慰我﹖你們的答話顯然只是欺詐!
