Job · Chapter 4

[ edit] Anſwerende forſoþe Elifaþ Themanyþes ſeide, If wee begynne to ſpeke to þee, perauenture greuouſly þou ſhalt taken; but þe conceiuede woord who ſhal moun holde? Lo! þou haſt taȝt manye men, and þou haſt ſtrengþid þe weri hondis. Þi woordis han maad ſtable þe vnſtedefaſt, and þe tremblende knes þou haſt coumfortid. Now forſoþe is comen vp on þee veniaunce, and þou haſt failid; it haþ touchid þee, and þou art diſturbid. Wher is þi drede, þi ſtrengþe, and þi pacience, and þe perfeccioun of þi weies? Recorde, I beſeche þee, who euere innocent perſhide, or whanne riȝtwis men ben don awei?

But raþere I haue ſeen hem, þat werken wickidneſſe, and ſowen ſorewis, and repen hem, God blowende, to han perſhid, and þurȝ þe ſpirit of his wraþe to be waſtid. Þe roring of a leoun, and þe vois of a leouneſſe, and þe teþ of leoun whelpis ben tobroſid. Þe tigre perſhide, forþi þat he hadde no prei; and þe leoun whelpis ben ſcaterid. But to me is ſeid a woord hid, and as þeefli myn ere toc þe veynes of his gruching. In þe orroure of þe nyȝt ſiȝte, whan ſlep is wont to ocupie men, inward drede heeld me, and trembling; and alle my bones ben agaſt. And whan þe ſpirit me preſent ſhulde paſſe, inwardli griſeden þe heris of my fleſh.

Þer ſtod oon, whos chere I knew not, an ymage befor myn eȝen; and a vois as of a ſofte eir I herde. Wheþir a man of God ſhal be iuſtified bi compariſoun; and a man ſhal be more clene þan his Makere? Lo! þat ſeruen to hym ben not ſtable; and in his aungelis he fond ſhreudeneſſe. Myche more þeſe þat dwellen cleyene houſis, þat han an erþely foundement, ſhul be waſtid as of a moȝhe. Fro morutid vnto euen þei ſhul ben hewe doun; and for no man vnderſtondiþ, wiþ outen ende þei ſhul perſhe. Þei forſoþe, þat weren lafte, ſhul be taken awei fro hem, and dien, and not in wiſdam.