Wycliffe's English Translation (1388)
Wycliffe
Translated from the Latin in the 14th century
[1]Joob answeride, and seide, Verili Y woot, that it is so, [2]and that a man comparisound to God schal not be maad iust. [3]If he wole stryue with God, he may not answere to God oon for a thousynde. [4]He is wiys in herte, and strong in myyt; who ayenstood hym, and hadde pees? [5]Which bar hillis fro o place to anothir, and thei wisten not; whiche he distriede in his strong veniaunce. [6]Which stirith the erthe fro his place, and the pilers therof schulen `be schakun togidere. [7]Which comaundith to the sunne, and it risith not; and he closith the sterris, as vndur a signet. [8]Which aloone stretchith forth heuenes, and goith on the wawis of the see. [9]Which makith Ariture, and Orionas, and Hiadas, `that is, seuene sterris, and the innere thingis of the south. [10]Which makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis, of whiche is noon noumbre. [11]If he cometh to me, `that is, bi his grace, Y schal not se hym; if he goith awey, `that is, in withdrawynge his grace, Y schal not vndurstonde. [12]If he axith sodeynli, who schal answere to hym? ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doist thou so? [13]`God is he, whos wraththe no man may withstonde; and vndur whom thei ben bowid, that beren the world. [14]Hou greet am Y, that Y answere to hym, and speke bi my wordis with hym? [15]Which also schal not answere, thouy Y haue ony thing iust; but Y schal biseche my iuge. [16]And whanne he hath herd me inwardli clepynge, Y bileue not, that he hath herd my vois. [17]For in a whirlewynd he schal al to-breke me, and he schal multiplie my woundis, yhe, without cause. [18]He grauntith not, that my spirit haue reste, and he fillith me with bittirnesses. [19]If strengthe is souyt, `he is moost strong; if equyte of doom is souyt, no man dar yelde witnessynge for me. [20]If Y wole make me iust, my mouth schal dampne me; if Y schal schewe me innocent, he schal preue me a schrewe. [21]Yhe, thouy Y am symple, my soule schal not knowe this same thing; and it schal anoye me of my lijf. [22]O thing is, which Y spak, he schal waste `bi deth also the innocent and wickid man. [23]If he betith, sle he onys, and leiye he not of the peynes of innocent men. [24]The erthe is youun in to the hondis of the wickid; he hilith the face of iugis; that if he is not, who therfor is? [25]Mi daies weren swiftere than a corour; thei fledden, and sien not good. [26]Thei passiden as schippis berynge applis, as an egle fleynge to mete. [27]Whanne Y seie, Y schal not speke so; Y chaunge my face, and Y am turmentid with sorewe. [28]Y drede alle my werkis, witynge that thou `woldist not spare the trespassour. [29]Sotheli if Y am also thus wickid, whi haue Y trauelid in veyn? [30]Thouy Y am waischun as with watris of snow, and thouy myn hondis schynen as moost cleene, [31]netheles thou schalt dippe me in filthis, and my clothis, `that is, werkis, schulen holde me abhomynable. [32]Trewli Y schal not answere a man, which is lijk me; nether that may be herd euenli with me in doom. [33]`Noon is, that may repreue euer eithir, and sette his hond in bothe. [34]Do he awei his yerde fro me, and his drede make not me aferd. [35]Y schal speke, and Y schal not drede hym; for Y may not answere dredynge.
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Author: John Wycliffe (1328 – 1384)
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