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| [1]So Job proceeded and continued his parable, saying, |
[1]Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide, |
| [2]Oh that I were as in times past, when God preserved me! |
[2]Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me? |
| [3]When his light shined upon mine head: and when by his light I walked through the darkness, |
[3]Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt. |
| [4]As I was in the days of my youth: when God's providence was upon my tabernacle: |
[4]As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle. |
| [5]When the almighty was yet with me, and my children round about me. |
[5]Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas; |
| [6]When I washed my paths with butter, and when the rock poured me out rivers of oil: |
[6]whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile; |
| [7]When I went out to the gate, even to the judgment seat, and when I caused them to prepare my seat in the street. |
[7]whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me. |
| [8]The young men saw me, and hid themselves, and the aged arose, and stood up. |
[8]Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden; |
| [9]The princes stayed talk, and laid their hand on their mouth. |
[9]princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth; |
| [10]The voice of princes was hid, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. |
[10]duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte. |
| [11]And when the ear heard me, it blessed me: and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me. |
[11]An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me; |
| [12]For I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. |
[12]for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere. |
| [13]The blessing of him that was ready to perish, came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to rejoice. |
[13]The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe. |
| [14]I put on justice, and it covered me: my judgment was as a robe, and a crown. |
[14]Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe. |
| [15]I was the eyes to the blind, and I was the feet to the lame. |
[15]Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man. |
| [16]I was a father unto the poor, and when I knew not the cause, I sought it out diligently. |
[16]Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not. |
| [17]I break also the jaws of the unrighteous man, and plucked the prey out of his teeth. |
[17]Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth. |
| [18]Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. |
[18]And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies. |
| [19]For my root is spread out by the water, and the dew shall lie upon my branch. |
[19]My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng. |
| [20]My glory shall renew toward me, and my bow shall be restored in mine hand. |
[20]My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond. |
| [21]Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and held their tongue at my counsel. |
[21]Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel. |
| [22]After my words they replied not, and my talk dropped upon them. |
[22]Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem. |
| [23]And they waited for me, as for the rain, and they opened their mouth as for the latter rain. |
[23]Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late. |
| [24]If I laughed on them, they believed it not: neither did they cause the light of my countenance to fall. |
[24]If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe. |
| [25]I appointed out their way, and did sit as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, and like him that comforteth the mourners. |
[25]If Y wolde go to hem, Y sat the firste; and whanne Y sat as kyng, while the oost stood aboute, netheles Y was comfortour of hem that morenyden. |