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| [1]Wherefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days. |
[1]Tymes ben not hid fro Almyyti God; sotheli thei that knowen hym, knowen not hise daies. |
| [2]The borders they reach, A drove they have taken violently away, Yea, they do evil. |
[2]Othere men turneden ouer the termes of neiyboris eritage, thei token awei flockis, and fedden tho. |
| [3]The ass of the fatherless they lead away, They take in pledge the ox of the widow, |
[3]Thei driueden awei the asse of fadirlesse children, and token awei the cow of a widewe for a wed. |
| [4]They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth. |
[4]Thei distrieden the weie of pore men, and thei oppressiden togidere the mylde men of erthe. |
| [5]Lo, wild asses in a wilderness, They have gone out about their work, Seeking early for prey, A mixture for himself -- food for young ones. |
[5]Othere men as wielde assis in deseert goon out to her werk; and thei waken to prey, and bifor maken redy breed to her children. |
| [6]In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean. |
[6]Thei kitten doun a feeld not hern, and thei gaderen grapis of his vyner, whom thei han oppressid bi violence. |
| [7]The naked they cause to lodge Without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold. |
[7]Thei leeuen men nakid, and taken awei the clothis, to whiche men is noon hiling in coold; |
| [8]From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge -- have embraced a rock. |
[8]whiche men the reynes of munteyns weeten, and thei han noon hilyng, and biclippen stoonys. |
| [9]They take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge. |
[9]Thei diden violence, and robbiden fadirles and modirles children; and thei spuyliden, `ether robbiden, the comynte of pore men. |
| [10]Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry -- have taken away a sheaf. |
[10]Thei token awey eeris of corn fro nakid men, and goynge with out cloth, and fro hungry men. |
| [11]Between their walls they make oil, Wine-presses they have trodden, and thirst. |
[11]Thei weren hid in myddai among the heepis of tho men, that thirsten, whanne the presses ben trodun. |
| [12]Because of enmity men do groan, And the soul of pierced ones doth cry, And God doth not give praise. |
[12]Thei maden men of citees to weile, and the soulis of woundid men schulen crye; and God suffrith it not to go awei vnpunyschid. |
| [13]They have been among rebellious ones of light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abode in His paths. |
[13]Thei weren rebel to liyt; thei knewen not the weyes therof, nether thei turneden ayen bi the pathis therof. |
| [14]At the light doth the murderer rise, He doth slay the poor and needy, And in the night he is as a thief. |
[14]A mansleere risith ful eerli, and sleeth a nedi man, and a pore man; sotheli bi nyyt he schal be as a nyyt theef. |
| [15]And the eye of an adulterer Hath observed the twilight, Saying, `No eye doth behold me.' And he putteth the face in secret. |
[15]The iye of avouter kepith derknesse, and seith, An yye schal not se me; and he schal hile his face. |
| [16]He hath dug in the darkness -- houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light. |
[16]Thei mynen housis in derknessis, as thei seiden togidere to hem silf in the dai; and thei knewen not liyt. |
| [17]When together, morning [is] to them death shade, When he discerneth the terrors of death shade. |
[17]If the morewtid apperith sudeynli, thei demen the schadewe of deth; and so thei goon in derknessis as in liyt. |
| [18]Light he [is] on the face of the waters, Vilified is their portion in the earth, He turneth not the way of vineyards. |
[18]He is vnstablere than the face of the water; his part in erthe be cursid, and go he not bi the weie of vyneris. |
| [19]Drought -- also heat -- consume snow-waters, Sheol [those who] have sinned. |
[19]Passe he to ful greet heete fro the watris of snowis, and the synne of hym `til to hellis. |
| [20]Forget him doth the womb, Sweeten [on] him doth the worm, No more is he remembered, And broken as a tree is wickedness. |
[20]Merci foryete hym; his swetnesse be a worm; be he not in mynde, but be he al to-brokun as `a tre vnfruytful. |
| [21]Treating evil the barren [who] beareth not, And [to] the widow he doth no good, |
[21]For he fedde the bareyn, and hir that childith not, and he dide not wel to the widewe. |
| [22]And hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life. |
[22]He drow doun stronge men in his strengthe; and whanne he stondith in `greet state, he schal not bileue to his lijf. |
| [23]He giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And his eyes [are] on their ways. |
[23]God yaf to hym place of penaunce, and he mysusith that in to pride; for the iyen of God ben in the weies of that man. |
| [24]High they were [for] a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. As all [others] they are shut up, And as the head of an ear of corn cut off. |
[24]Thei ben reisid at a litil, and thei schulen not stonde; and thei schulen be maad low as alle thingis, and thei schulen be takun awei; and as the hyynessis of eeris of corn thei schulen be al to-brokun. |
| [25]And if not now, who doth prove me a liar, And doth make of nothing my word? |
[25]That if it is not so, who may repreue me, that Y liede, and putte my wordis bifor God? |