Job 31
1 A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what — do I attend to a virgin?
I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn.
2 And what [is] the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?
For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis?
3 Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?
Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse?
4 Doth not He see my ways, And all my steps number?
Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis?
5 If I have walked with vanity, And my foot doth hasten to deceit,
If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile,
6 He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my integrity.
God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse.
7 If my step doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish,
If my step bowide fro the weie; if myn iye suede myn herte, and a spotte cleuede to myn hondis;
8 Let me sow — and another eat, And my products let be rooted out.
sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root.
9 If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid 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 Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend.
and othir men be bowid doun on hir.
11 For it [is] a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;
For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse.
12 For a fire it [is], to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root,
Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns.
13 If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,
If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden ayens me.
14 Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do I answer 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 that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.
Whether he, that wrouyte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe?
16 If I withhold from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume,
If Y denyede to pore men that, that thei wolden, and if Y made the iyen of a wydewe to abide;
17 And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it,
if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof;
18 (But from my youth He grew up with me as [with] a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.)
for merciful doyng encreesside with me fro my yong childhed, and yede out of my modris wombe with me;
19 If I see [any] perishing without clothing, And there is no covering to the needy,
if Y dispiside a man passynge forth, for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out hilyng;
20 If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,
if hise sidis blessiden not me, and was not maad hoot of the fleeces of my scheep;
21 If I have waved at the fatherless my hand, When I see in [him] the gate of my court,
if Y reiside myn hond on a fadirles child, yhe, whanne Y siy me the hiyere in the yate;
22 My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the 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 [is] calamity [from] God, And because of His excellency I am not able.
For euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on me; and `Y myyte not bere his birthun.
24 If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, 'My trust,'
If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist;
25 If I rejoice because great [is] my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found,
if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis;
26 If I see the light when it shineth, And the precious moon walking,
if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli;
27 And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth,
and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth;
28 It also [is] a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.
which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God;
29 If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil 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 Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.
for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule;
31 If not — say ye, O men of my tent, 'O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'
if the men of my tabernacle seiden not, Who yyueth, that we be fillid of hise fleischis? a pilgryme dwellide not with outforth;
32 In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.
my dore was opyn to a weiegoere;
33 If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity,
if Y as man hidde my synne, and helide my wickidnesse in my bosum;
34 Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.
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 Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written.
who yyueth an helpere to me, that Almyyti God here my desire? that he that demeth,
36 If not — on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it a crown on myself.
write a book, that Y bere it in my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me?
37 The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.
Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce.
38 If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep,
If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it;
39 If its strength I consumed without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,
if Y eet fruytis therof with out money, and Y turmentide the soule of erthetileris of it;
40 Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.
a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli.
