Job 34

¹ and hiye and fer apperynge vessels of gold schulen not be chaungid for wisdom, nether schulen be had in mynde in comparisoun therof. Forsothe wisdom is drawun of pryuy thingis; ² topasie of Ethiope schal not be maad euene worth to wisdom, and moost preciouse diyngis schulen not be set togidere in prijs, ether comparisound, therto. 3 Therfor wherof cometh wisdom, and which is the place of vndurstondyng? 4 It is hid fro the iyen of alle lyuynge men; also it is hid fro briddis of heuene. 5 Perdicioun and deeth seiden, With oure eeris we herden the fame therof. 6 God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof. 7 For he biholdith the endis of the world, and biholdith alle thingis that ben vndur heuene. 8 Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure. ⁹ Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge; ¹⁰ thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte out. ¹¹ And he seide to man, Lo! the drede of the Lord, thilke is wisdom; and to go awei fro yuel, is vndurstondyng. ¹³ Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide, ¹⁴ Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me? ¹⁵ Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt. ¹⁶ As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle. ¹⁷ Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas; ¹⁸ whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile; ¹⁹ whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me. ²⁰ Yonge men, that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden; 21 princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth; 22 duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte. 23 An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me; 24 for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere. 25 The blessyng of a man to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe. ²⁶ Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my doom a diademe. 27 Y was iye to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man. ²⁸ Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not. ²⁹ Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth. ³⁰ And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies. ³¹ My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng. ³² My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond. ³³ Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel. ³⁴ Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem. ³⁵ Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late. ³⁶ If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe. ³⁷ If Y wolde go to hem, Y sat the firste; and whanne Y sat as kyng, while the oost stood aboute, netheles Y was comfortour of hem that morenyden.