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| [1]I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn. |
[1]I made a covenant with mine eyes, and I will not think upon a virgin. |
| [2]For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis? |
[2]Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance given of the Mighty One from the highest? |
| [3]Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse? |
[3]Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity. |
| [4]Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis? |
[4]Will he not see my way, and number all my steps? |
| [5]If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile, |
[5]But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit: |
| [6]God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse. |
[6](for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence:) |
| [7]If my step bowide fro the weie; if myn iye suede myn herte, and a spotte cleuede to myn hondis; |
[7]if my foot has turned aside out of the way, or if mine heart has followed mine eye, and if too I have touched gifts with my hands; |
| [8]sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root. |
[8]then let me sow, and let others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth. |
| [9]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, |
[9]If my heart has gone forth after another man's wife, and if I laid wait at her doors; |
| [10]and othir men be bowid doun on hir. |
[10]then let my wife also please another, and let my children be brought low. |
| [11]For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse. |
[11]For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, in the case of defiling another man's wife. |
| [12]Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns. |
[12]For it is a fire burning on every side, and whomsoever it attacks, it utterly destroys. |
| [13]If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden ayens me. |
[13]And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or my handmaid, when they pleaded with me; |
| [14]What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym? |
[14]what then shall I do if the Lord should try me? and if also he should at all visit me, can I make an answer? |
| [15]Whether he, that wrouyte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe? |
[15]Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yea, we were formed in the same womb. |
| [16]If Y denyede to pore men that, that thei wolden, and if Y made the iyen of a wydewe to abide; |
[16]But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail. |
| [17]if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof; |
[17]And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart of it to the orphan; |
| [18]for merciful doyng encreesside with me fro my yong childhed, and yede out of my modris wombe with me; |
[18](for I nourished them as a father from my youth and guided them from my mother's womb.) |
| [19]if Y dispiside a man passynge forth, for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out hilyng; |
[19]And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him; |
| [20]if hise sidis blessiden not me, and was not maad hoot of the fleeces of my scheep; |
[20]and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were not warmed with the fleece of my lambs; |
| [21]if Y reiside myn hond on a fadirles child, yhe, whanne Y siy me the hiyere in the yate; |
[21]if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior to his: |
| [22]my schuldre falle fro his ioynt, and myn arm with hise boonys be al to-brokun. |
[22]let them my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow. |
| [23]For euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on me; and `Y myyte not bere his birthun. |
[23]For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I cannot bear up by reason of his burden. |
| [24]If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist; |
[24]If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone; |
| [25]if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis; |
[25]and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable treasures: |
| [26]if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli; |
[26](do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not power to continue:) |
| [27]and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth; |
[27]and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it: |
| [28]which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God; |
[28]let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I should have lied against the Lord Most High. |
| [29]if Y hadde ioye at the fallyng of hym, that hatide me, and if Y ioide fulli, that yuel hadde founde hym; |
[29]And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha! |
| [30]for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule; |
[30]let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a byword among my people in my affliction. |
| [31]if the men of my tabernacle seiden not, Who yyueth, that we be fillid of hise fleischis? a pilgryme dwellide not with outforth; |
[31]And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind: |
| [32]my dore was opyn to a weiegoere; |
[32]for the stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came:) |
| [33]if Y as man hidde my synne, and helide my wickidnesse in my bosum; |
[33]or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin; |
| [34]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; |
[34](for I did not stand in awe of a great multitude, so as not to declare boldly before them:) and if too I permitted a poor man to go out of my door with an empty bosom: |
| [35]who yyueth an helpere to me, that Almyyti God here my desire? that he that demeth, |
[35](Oh that I had a hearer,)and if I had not feared the hand of the Lord; and as to the written charge which I had against any one, |
| [36]write a book, that Y bere it in my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me? |
[36]I would place it as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it. |
| [37]Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce. |
[37]And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor: |
| [38]If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it; |
[38]If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together; |
| [39]if Y eet fruytis therof with out money, and Y turmentide the soule of erthetileris of it; |
[39]and if I ate its strength alone without price, and if I too grieved the heart of the owner of the soil, by taking aught from him: |
| [40]a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli. |
[40]then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking. |