Wycliffe's English Translation (1388)
Wycliffe
Translated from the Latin in the 14th century
[1]Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob, [2]and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis? [3]Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me. [4]Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng. [5]Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne? [6]On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof, [7]whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli? [8]Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe? [9]Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed. [10]Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris; [11]and Y seide, `Til hidur thou schalt come, and thou schalt not go forth ferthere; and here thou schalt breke togidere thi bolnynge wawis. [12]Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place? [13]Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro? [14]A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth. [15]The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun. [16]Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian? [17]Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris? [18]Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis, [19]in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse; [20]that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows. [21]Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies? [22]Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail? [23]whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel. [24]Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe? [25]Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn, [26]and weie of the thundur sownynge? That it schulde reyne on the erthe with out man in desert, where noon of deedli men dwellith? [27]That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis? [28]Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew? [29]Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene? [30]Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere. [31]Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis? [32]Whether thou bryngist forth Lucifer, `that is, dai sterre, in his tyme, and makist euene sterre to rise on the sones of erthe? [33]Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe? [34]Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee? [35]Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present? [36]Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok? [37]Who schal telle out the resoun of heuenes, and who schal make acordyng of heuene to sleep? [38]Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere? [39]Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis, [40]whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes? [41]Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis?
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Author: John Wycliffe (1328 – 1384)
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