Job 5

¹ And whanne we hadden lerned this thing, and sien, that o folk rebel ayens al the kynde of men vside weiward lawis, and was contrarie to oure comaundementis, and disturblide the pees and acording of prouynces suget to vs, ² we comaundiden, that whiche euere Aaman schewide, which is souereyn of alle prouynces, and is the secounde fro the kyng, and whom we onouren in the place of fadir, thei with her wiues and children be doon awei of her enemyes, and noon haue merci on hem, in the fourtenthe dai of the twelfithe monethe Adar, of present yeer; 3 that cursid men go doun to hellis in o dai, and yelde pees to oure empire, which thei hadden troblid. 4 Forsothe Mardochee bisouyte the Lord, and was myndeful of alle hise werkys, and seide, ⁵ Lord God, kyng almyyti, alle thingis ben set in thi lordschip, ethir power, and noon is, that may ayenstonde thi wille; if thou demest for to saue Israel, we schulen be delyuered anoon. ⁶ Thou madist heuene and erthe, and what euer thing is conteyned in the cumpas of heuene. ⁷ Thou art Lord of alle thingis, and noon is that ayenstondith thi maieste. 8 Thou knowist alle thingis, and woost, that not for pride and dispit and ony coueytise of glorie Y dide this thing, that Y worschipide not Aaman moost proud; 9 for Y was redi wilfuli to kisse, yhe, the steppis of hise feet for the helthe of Israel, but Y dredde, ¹⁰ lest Y schulde bere ouere to a man the onour of my God, and lest Y schulde worschipe ony man outakun my God. ¹¹ And now, Lord kyng, God of Abraham, haue thou merci on thi puple, for oure enemyes wolen leese vs, and do awei thin eritage; ¹² dispise not thi part, which thou ayenbouytist fro Egipt. ¹³ Here thou my preier, and be thou merciful to the lot, and the part of thin eritage; and turne thou oure morenyng in to ioie, that we lyuynge herie thi name, Lord; and close thou not the mouthis of men heriynge thee. ¹⁴ And al Israel with lijk mynde and bisechyng criede to the Lord, for certeyn deeth neiyede to hem. ¹⁶ Also the queen Hester fledde to the Lord, and dredde the perel, that neiyede. ¹⁷ And whanne sche hadde put awei the kyngis clothis, sche took clothis couenable to wepyngis and morenyng; and for dyuerse oynementis sche fillide the heed with aische and dust, and made meke hir bodi with fastyngys; and with tobreidyng awei of heeris, sche fillide alle places, in which sche was wont to be glad; ¹⁸ and bisouyte the Lord God of Israel, and seide, My Lord, which aloone art oure kyng, helpe me a womman left aloone, and of whom noon othere helpere is outakun thee; ¹⁹ my perel is in my hondis. ²⁰ Y haue herd of my fadir, that thou, Lord, tokist awei Israel fro alle folkis, and oure fadris fro alle her grettere men bifore, that thou schuldist welde euerlastynge eritage; and thou hast do to hem, as thou hast spoke. ²¹ We synneden in thi siyt, and therfor thou hast bitake vs in to the hondis of oure enemyes; ²² for we worschipiden the goddis of hem. ²³ Lord, thou art iust; and now it suffisith not to hem, that thei oppressen vs with hardeste seruage, but thei aretten the strengthe of her hondis to the power of idols, ²⁴ and wolen chaunge thi biheestis, and do awei thin eritage, and close the mouthis of men heriynge thee, and quenche the glorie of thi temple and auter, ²⁵ that thei opene the mouthis of hethene men, and preise the strengthe of ydols, and preche a fleischli kyng with outen ende. ²⁶ Lord, yyue thou not thi kyngis yerde to hem, that ben noyt, lest thei leiyen at oure fallyng; but turne thou the councel of hem on hem, and distrie thou hym, that bigan to be cruel ayens vs. ²⁷ Lord, haue thou mynde, and schewe thee to vs in the tyme of tribulacioun; and, Lord, kyng of goddis and of al power, yyue thou trist to me;