Job 9

¹ Forsothe it was doon, whanne in sum dai the sones of God weren comun, and stoden bifor the Lord, and Sathan was comun among hem, and stood in his siyt, ² that the Lord seide to Sathan, Fro whennus comest thou? Which answeride, and seide, Y haue cumpassid the erthe, and Y haue go thury it. 3 And the Lord seide to Sathan, Whethir thou hast biholde my seruaunt Joob, that noon in erthe is lijk hym; he is a symple man, and riytful, and dredynge God, and goynge awei fro yuel, and yit holdynge innocence? But thou hast moued me ayens him, that Y schulde turmente hym in veyn. 4 To whom Sathan answeride, and seide, A man schal yyue skyn for skyn, and alle thingis that he hath for his lijf; ⁵ ellis sende thin hond, and touche his boon and fleisch, and thanne thou schalt se, that he schal curse thee in the face. 6 Therfor the Lord seide to Sathan, Lo! he is in thin hond; netheles kepe thou his lijf. ⁷ Therfor Sathan yede out fro the face of the Lord, and smoot Joob with a ful wickid botche fro the sole of the foot til to his top; ⁸ which Joob schauyde the quytere with a schelle, and sat in the dunghil. 9 Forsothe his wijf seide to hym, Dwellist thou yit in thi symplenesse? Curse thou God, and die. 10 And Joob seide, Thou hast spoke as oon of the fonned wymmen; if we han take goodis of the hond of the Lord, whi forsothe suffren we not yuels? In alle these thingis Joob synnede not in hise lippis. 11 Therfor thre frendis of Joob herden al the yuel, that hadde bifelde to hym, and camen ech man fro his place, Eliphath Temanytes, and Baldach Suythes, and Sophar Naamathites; for thei hadden seide togidere to hem silf, that thei wolden come togidere, and visite hym, and coumforte. ¹² And whanne thei hadden reisid afer her iyen, thei knewen not hym; and thei crieden, and wepten, and to-renten her clothis, and spreynten dust on her heed in to heuene. ¹³ And thei saten with hym in the erthe seuene daies and seuene nyytis, and no man spak a word to hym; for thei sien, that his sorewe was greet. ¹⁵ Aftir these thingis Joob openyde his mouth, ¹⁶ and curside his dai, and seide, Perische the dai in which Y was borun, ¹⁷ and the nyyt in which it was seid, The man is conceyued. ¹⁸ Thilke dai be turnede in to derknessis; God seke not it aboue, and be it not in mynde, nethir be it liytned with liyt. ¹⁹ Derknessis make it derk, and the schadewe of deeth and myist occupie it; and be it wlappid with bittirnesse. ²⁰ Derk whirlwynde holde that niyt; be it not rikynyd among the daies of the yeer, nethir be it noumbrid among the monethes. ²¹ Thilke nyyt be soleyn, and not worthi of preisyng. ²² Curse thei it, that cursen the dai, that ben redi to reise Leuyathan. ²³ Sterris be maad derk with the derknesse therof; abide it liyt, and se it not, nethir the bigynnyng of the morwetid risyng vp. ²⁴ For it closide not the doris of the wombe, that bar me, nethir took awei yuels fro min iyen. ²⁵ Whi was not Y deed in the wombe? whi yede Y out of the wombe, and perischide not anoon? ²⁶ Whi was Y takun on knees? whi was Y suclid with teetis? ²⁷ For now Y slepynge schulde be stille, and schulde reste in my sleep, ²⁸ with kyngis, and consuls of erthe, that bilden to hem soleyn places; ²⁹ ethir with prynces that han gold in possessioun, and fillen her housis with siluer; ³⁰ ethir as a `thing hid not borun Y schulde not stonde, ethir whiche conseyued sien not liyt. ³¹ There wickid men ceessiden of noise, and there men maad wery of strengthe restiden. ³² And sum tyme boundun togidere with out disese thei herden not the voys of the wrongful axere. ³³ A litil man and greet man be there, and a seruaunt free fro his lord. ³⁴ Whi is liyt youun to the wretche, and lijf to hem that ben in bitternesse of soule? ³⁵ Whiche abiden deeth, and it cometh not;