Job 28

¹ For he brake, and made nakid the hows of a pore man; he rauyschide, and bildide it not. ² And his wombe was not fillid; and whanne he hath that, that he couetide, he may not holde in possessioun. ³ No thing lefte of his mete; and therfor no thing schal dwelle of his goodis. 4 Whanne he is fillid, he schal be maad streit; he schal be hoot, and alle sorewe schal falle in on hym. ⁵ Y wolde, that his wombe be fillid, that he sende out in to hym the ire of his strong veniaunce, and reyne his batel on hym. 6 He schal fle yrun armuris, and he schal falle in to a brasun boowe. 7 Led out, and goynge out of his schethe, and schynynge, ether smytinge with leit, in to his bittirnesse; orrible fendis schulen go, and schulen come on hym. ⁸ Alle derknessis ben hid in hise priuytees; fier, which is not teendid, schal deuoure hym; he schal be turmentid left in his tabernacle. ⁹ Heuenes schulen schewe his wickidnesse; and erthe schal rise togidere ayens hym. ¹⁰ The seed of his hows schal be opyn; it schal be drawun doun in the dai of the strong veniaunce of the Lord. ¹¹ This is the part of a wickid man, which part is youun of God, and the eritage of hise wordis of the Lord. 13 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, 14 Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce. 15 Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi. 16 Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori? 17 Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth. 18 And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch. 19 Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis. 20 Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt. 21 Her housis ben sikur, and pesible; and the yerde of God is not on hem. 22 The cow of hem conseyuede, and caluede not a deed calf; the cow caluyde, and is not priued of hir calf. 23 Her litle children goen out as flockis; and her yonge children maken fulli ioye with pleies. ²⁴ Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun. ²⁵ Thei leden in goodis her daies; and in a point thei goen doun to hellis. ²⁶ Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies. ²⁷ Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him? ²⁸ Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me.