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| [1]THEN Job answered and said, |
[1]Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Hou long turmente ye my soule, |
| [2]How long will you grieve my soul, and make me sick with words? |
[2]and al to-breken me with wordis? |
| [3]For behold, these ten times you have rebuked me; and yet you are not ashamed that you make me sad. |
[3]Lo! ten sithis ye schenden me, and ye ben not aschamed, oppressynge me. |
| [4]If indeed I have erred, my error remains with myself. |
[4]Forsothe and if Y `koude not, myn vnkynnyng schal be with me. |
| [5]If you have justly magnified yourselves against me, rebuked me, and reproached me, |
[5]And ye ben reisid ayens me, and repreuen me with my schenschipis. |
| [6]Know then that God has condemned me, and spread his net over me. |
[6]Nameli now vndurstonde ye, that God hath turmentid me not bi euene doom, and hath cumpassid me with hise betyngis. |
| [7]If I howl, no one answers me; and if I complain, there is no one to avenge me |
[7]Lo! Y suffrynge violence schal crye, and no man schal here; Y schal crye loude, and `noon is that demeth. |
| [8]He has fenced up my ways so that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness in my paths. |
[8]He bisette aboute my path, and Y may not go; and he settide derknessis in my weie. |
| [9]He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. |
[9]He hath spuylid me of my glorye, and hath take awey the coroun fro myn heed. |
| [10]He has destroyed me on every side, and I am no more; and my hope has he removed like a piece of tree. |
[10]He hath distried me on ech side, and Y perischide; and he hath take awei myn hope, as fro a tre pullid vp bi the roote. |
| [11]He has also kindled his wrath against me, and he counts me as his enemy. |
[11]His stronge veniaunce was wrooth ayens me; and he hadde me so as his enemye. |
| [12]His messengers have come together against me; they debated their ways against me, and encamped round about my tent. |
[12]Hise theues camen togidere, and `maden to hem a wei bi me; and bisegiden my tabernacle in cumpas. |
| [13]My brothers are far off from me, and my acquaintances have deserted me. |
[13]He made fer my britheren fro me; and my knowun as aliens yeden awei fro me. |
| [14]My kinsfolk have failed me, and my familiar friends have forsaken me. |
[14]My neiyboris forsoken me; and thei that knewen me han foryete me. |
| [15]They that dwell in my house, and my maids, consider me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight. |
[15]The tenauntis of myn hows, and myn handmaydis hadden me as a straunger; and Y was as a pilgrym bifor her iyen. |
| [16]I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I entreated him with my mouth and implored him. |
[16]Y clepide my seruaunt, and he answeride not to me; with myn owne mouth Y preiede hym. |
| [17]I have become a stranger to my wife, and have implored the children of my own body. |
[17]My wijf wlatide my breeth; and Y preiede the sones of my wombe. |
| [18]Yea, even the wicked despise me; when I rise, they speak against me. |
[18]Also foolis dispisiden me; and whanne Y was goon awei fro hem, thei bacbitiden me. |
| [19]All my counselors abhor me; even my friends have turned against me. |
[19]Thei, that weren my counselouris sum tyme, hadden abhomynacioun of me; and he, whom Y louede moost, was aduersarie to me. |
| [20]My skin and my flesh cleave to my bones, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth. |
[20]Whanne fleischis weren wastid, my boon cleuyde to my skyn; and `oneli lippis ben left aboute my teeth. |
| [21]Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O you my friends; for the hand of God has been against me. |
[21]Haue ye merci on me, haue ye merci on me, nameli, ye my frendis; for the hond of the Lord hath touchid me. |
| [22]Why do you also persecute me like God, and you are not satisfied with the hurt of my flesh |
[22]Whi pursuen ye me, as God pursueth; and ben fillid with my fleischis? |
| [23]Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a scroll! |
[23]Who yyueth to me, that my wordis be writun? Who yyueth to me, |
| [24]That they were engraved with an iron pen on lead or in the rock for ever! |
[24]that tho be writun in a book with an yrun poyntil, ethir with a plate of leed; ethir with a chisel be grauun in a flynt? |
| [25]For I know that my Saviour lives, and at the end he will reveal himself upon the earth; |
[25]For Y woot, that myn ayenbiere lyueth, and in the laste dai Y schal rise fro the erthe; |
| [26]Although devouring worms have covered my skin and my flesh, |
[26]and eft Y schal be cumpassid with my skyn, and in my fleisch Y schal se God, my sauyour. |
| [27]Yet, if my eyes shall see God, then my heart also will see the light; but now my body is consumed. |
[27]Whom Y my silf schal se, and myn iyen schulen biholde, and not an other man. This myn hope is kept in my bosum. |
| [28]For you will say, Why did we persecute him? For a good report will follow me and vindicate me. |
[28]Whi therfor seien ye now, Pursue we hym, and fynde we the roote of a word ayens hym? |
| [29]Spare yourselves from the sword; for the wrath of sinners is a sword; for you shall yet know that there is judgment |
[29]Therfor fle ye fro the face of the swerd; for the swerd is the vengere of wickidnessis, and wite ye, that doom schal be. |