Job 38

¹ Therfor Helyu abood Joob spekynge, for thei, that spaken, weren eldere men. ² But whanne he hadde seyn, that thre men myyten not answere, he was wrooth greetly. ³ And Helyu, the sone of Barachel Buzites, answeride, and seyde, Y am yongere in tyme, sotheli ye ben eldere; therfor with heed holdun doun Y dredde to schewe to you my sentence. ⁴ For Y hopide that lengere age schulde speke, and that the multitude of yeeris schulden teche wisdom. ⁵ But as Y se, spirit is in men, and the enspiryng ether reuelacioun, of Almyyti God yyueth vndurstondyng. 6 Men of long lijf ben not wise, and elde men vndurstonden not doom. 7 Therfor Y schal seie, Here ye me, and Y also schal schewe my kunnyng to you. 8 For Y abood youre wordis, Y herde youre prudence, as long as ye dispuytiden in youre wordis. 9 And as long as Y gesside you to seie ony thing, Y bihelde; but as Y se, noon is of you, that may repreue Joob, and answere to hise wordis; ¹⁰ lest perauenture ye seien, We han founde wisdom; God, and not man, hath cast hym awei. ¹¹ Joob spak no thing to me, and Y not bi youre wordis schal answere hym. ¹² Thei dredden, and answeriden no more, and token awei speche fro hem silf. ¹³ Therfor for Y abood, and thei spaken not, thei stoden, and answeriden no more; also Y schal answere my part, ¹⁴ and Y schal schewe my kunnyng. ¹⁵ For Y am ful of wordis, and the spirit of my wombe, that is, mynde, constreyneth me. 16 Lo! my wombe is as must with out spigot, ether a ventyng, that brekith newe vessels. ¹⁷ Y schal speke, and brethe ayen a litil; Y schal opene my lippis, and Y schal answere. ¹⁸ Y schal not take the persoone of man, and Y schal not make God euene to man. ¹⁹ For Y woot not hou long Y schal abide, and if my Makere take me awei after a litil tyme. 21 Therfor, Joob, here thou my spechis, and herkene alle my wordis. 22 Lo! Y haue openyd my mouth, my tunge schal speke in my chekis. 23 Of symple herte ben my wordis, and my lippis schulen speke clene sentence. 24 The spirit of God made me, and the brething of Almyyti God quykenyde me. 25 If thou maist, answere thou to me, and stoonde thou ayens my face. 26 Lo! God made me as and thee; and also Y am formyd of the same cley. 27 Netheles my myracle make thee not afeerd, and myn eloquence be not greuouse to thee. 28 Therfor thou seidist in myn eeris, and Y herde the vois of thi wordis; 29 Y am cleene, and with out gilt, and vnwemmed, and wickidnesse is not in me. 30 For God foond querels in me, therfor he demyde me enemy to hym silf. ³¹ He hath set my feet in a stok; he kepte alle my pathis. ³² Therfor this thing it is, in which thou art not maad iust; Y schal answere to thee, that God is more than man. ³³ Thou stryuest ayenus God, that not at alle wordis he answeride to thee. ³⁴ God spekith onys, and the secounde tyme he rehersith not the same thing. ³⁵ God spekith bi a dreem in the visioun of nyyt, whanne sleep fallith on men, and thei slepen in the bed. ³⁶ Thanne he openith the eeris of men, and he techith hem, and techith prudence; 37 that he turne awei a man fro these thingis whiche he made, and delyuere hym fro pride; delyuerynge his soule fro corrupcioun, 38 and his lijf, that it go not in to swerd. 39 Also God blameth a synnere bi sorewe in the bed, and makith alle the boonys of hym to fade. ⁴⁰ Breed is maad abhomynable to hym in his lijf, and mete desirable `bifor to his soule. ⁴¹ His fleisch schal faile for rot, and hise boonys, that weren hilid, schulen be maad nakid.