Job 36

¹ In the multitude of tho my cloth is wastid, and thei han gird me as with coler of a coote. ² Y am comparisound to cley, and Y am maad lijk to a deed sparcle and aisch. ³ Y schal cry to thee, and thou schalt not here me; Y stonde, and thou biholdist not me. ⁴ Thou art chaungid in to cruel to me, and in the hardnesse of thin hond thou art aduersarie to me. ⁵ Thou hast reisid me, and hast set as on wynd; and hast hurtlid me doun strongli. ⁶ Y woot, that thow schalt bitake me to deeth, where an hows is ordeyned to ech lyuynge man. ⁷ Netheles thou sendist not out thin hond to the wastyng of hem; and if thei fallen doun, thou schalt saue. ⁸ Y wepte sum tyme on him, that was turmentid, and my soule hadde compassioun on a pore man. ⁹ Y abood goodis, and yuelis ben comun to me; Y abood liyt, and derknessis braken out. ¹⁰ Myn ynnere thingis buyliden out with outen my reste; daies of turment camen bifor me. ¹¹ Y yede morenynge, and Y roos with out woodnesse in the cumpenye, and criede. ¹² Y was the brother of dragouns, and the felow of ostrigis. ¹³ My skyn was maad blak on me, and my boonys drieden for heete. ¹⁴ Myn harpe is turned in to morenyng, and myn orgun in to the vois of weperis. ¹⁶ I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn. ¹⁷ For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis? ¹⁸ Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse? ¹⁹ Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis? ²⁰ If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile, ²¹ God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse. ²² If my step bowide fro the weie; if myn iye suede myn herte, and a spotte cleuede to myn hondis; ²³ sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root. ²⁴ If myn herte was disseyued on a womman, and if Y settide aspies at the dore of my frend; my wijf be the hoore of anothir man, ²⁵ and othir men be bowid doun on hir. ²⁶ For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse. ²⁷ Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns. ²⁸ If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden ayens me. ²⁹ What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym? ³⁰ Whether he, that wrouyte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe? ³¹ If Y denyede to pore men that, that thei wolden, and if Y made the iyen of a wydewe to abide; ³² if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof; ³³ for merciful doyng encreesside with me fro my yong childhed, and yede out of my modris wombe with me;