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[1]Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide,
[2]Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me?
[3]Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt.
[4]As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle.
[5]Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas;
[6]whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile;
[7]whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me.
[8]Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden;
[9]princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
[10]duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte.
[11]An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me;
[12]for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere.
[13]The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe.
[14]Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe.
[15]Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man.
[16]Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not.
[17]Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth.
[18]And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies.
[19]My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng.
[20]My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond.
[21]Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel.
[22]Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem.
[23]Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late.
[24]If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe.
[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.
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