Job 31

¹ But he knowith my weie, and he schal preue me as gold, that passith thorouy fier. ² My foot suede hise steppis; Y kepte his weie, and Y bowide not awey fro it. ³ Y yede not awei fro the comaundementis of hise lippis; and Y hidde in my bosum the wordis of his mouth. ⁴ For he is aloone, and no man may turne awei hise thouytis; and what euer thing he wolde, his wille dide this thing. ⁵ Whanne he hath fillid his wille in me, also many othere lijk thingis ben redi to hym. ⁶ And therfor Y am disturblid of his face, and Y biholdynge hym am anguyschid for drede. ⁷ God hath maad neische myn herte, and Almyyti God hath disturblid me. ⁸ For Y perischide not for derknessis neiyynge; nethir myist hilide my face. ¹⁰ Tymes ben not hid fro Almyyti God; sotheli thei that knowen hym, knowen not hise daies. ¹¹ Othere men turneden ouer the termes of neiyboris eritage, thei token awei flockis, and fedden tho. ¹² Thei driueden awei the asse of fadirlesse children, and token awei the cow of a widewe for a wed. ¹³ Thei distrieden the weie of pore men, and thei oppressiden togidere the mylde men of erthe. ¹⁴ Othere men as wielde assis in deseert goon out to her werk; and thei waken to prey, and bifor maken redy breed to her children. ¹⁵ Thei kitten doun a feeld not hern, and thei gaderen grapis of his vyner, whom thei han oppressid bi violence. ¹⁶ Thei leeuen men nakid, and taken awei the clothis, to whiche men is noon hiling in coold; ¹⁷ whiche men the reynes of munteyns weeten, and thei han noon hilyng, and biclippen stoonys. ¹⁸ Thei diden violence, and robbiden fadirles and modirles children; and thei spuyliden, ether robbiden, the comynte of pore men. 19 Thei token awey eeris of corn fro nakid men, and goynge with out cloth, and fro hungry men. 20 Thei weren hid in myddai among the heepis of tho men, that thirsten, whanne the presses ben trodun. 21 Thei maden men of citees to weile, and the soulis of woundid men schulen crye; and God suffrith it not to go awei vnpunyschid. 22 Thei weren rebel to liyt; thei knewen not the weyes therof, nether thei turneden ayen bi the pathis therof. 23 A mansleere risith ful eerli, and sleeth a nedi man, and a pore man; sotheli bi nyyt he schal be as a nyyt theef. 24 The iye of avouter kepith derknesse, and seith, An yye schal not se me; and he schal hile his face. 25 Thei mynen housis in derknessis, as thei seiden togidere to hem silf in the dai; and thei knewen not liyt. 26 If the morewtid apperith sudeynli, thei demen the schadewe of deth; and so thei goon in derknessis as in liyt. 27 He is vnstablere than the face of the water; his part in erthe be cursid, and go he not bi the weie of vyneris. 28 Passe he to ful greet heete fro the watris of snowis, and the synne of hym til to hellis. ²⁹ Merci foryete hym; his swetnesse be a worm; be he not in mynde, but be he al to-brokun as a tre vnfruytful. 30 For he fedde the bareyn, and hir that childith not, and he dide not wel to the widewe. 31 He drow doun stronge men in his strengthe; and whanne he stondith in greet state, he schal not bileue to his lijf. ³² God yaf to hym place of penaunce, and he mysusith that in to pride; for the iyen of God ben in the weies of that man. ³³ Thei ben reisid at a litil, and thei schulen not stonde; and thei schulen be maad low as alle thingis, and thei schulen be takun awei; and as the hyynessis of eeris of corn thei schulen be al to-brokun. ³⁴ That if it is not so, who may repreue me, that Y liede, and putte my wordis bifor God? ³⁶ Forsothe Baldach Suytes answeride, and seide, ³⁷ Power and drede is anentis hym, that is, God, that makith acordyng in hise hiye thingis. ³⁸ Whether noumbre is of hise knyytis? and on whom schyneth not his liyt? ³⁹ Whether a man comparisound to God mai be iustified, ether borun of a womman mai appere cleene? ⁴⁰ Lo! also the moone schyneth not, and sterris ben not cleene in `his siyt;