Job · Chapter 5

[ edit] Clep þanne, if þer is þat anſwere to þee, and turne to ſumme of þe ſeintis. Wraþe ſleþ a man fol, and enuye ſleþ a litil child. I ſaȝ a fool wiþ a ſtable roote, and I curſide to his fairneſſe anoon. Aferr ſhul be maade his ſones fro helþe, and ſhul be to-treden in þe ȝate, and þer ſhal not be þat deliuere. Whos rep þe hungri ſhal ete, and hym ſhal raueſhe þe armed, and þe þriſti men ſhul drinke his richeſſis. No þing in þe erþe is maad wiþoute cauſe, and of þe erþe ſhal not gon out ſorewe. A man to trauaile is born, and a brid to fleen. For what þing I ſhal preȝe þe Lord, and to my God I ſhal putte my ſpeche.

Þat doþ grete þingus, and vnſerchable, and merueilouſe þingus wiþoute noumbre. Þat ȝiueþ reyn vpon þe face of þe erþe, and moyſteþ wiþ watris alle þingus. Þat ſetteþ meke men in to heiȝte, and weilende men rereþ wiþ helþe. Þat ſcatereþ þe þoȝtis of euele men, þat þer hondis moun not fulfille þat þei begunne. Þat caccheþ wiſe men in þer felneſſe, and þe counſeil of ſhrewis ſcattereþ. Bi þe dai þei ſhul renne in to dercneſſis, and as in nyȝt ſo þei ſhul graſpen in mydday. But ſaf he ſhal make þe nedi fro þe ſwerd of þe mouþ of hem, and fro þe hond doende violence þe pore man. And he ſhal be to þe nedi man hope, wickidneſſe forſoþe ſhal drawe togidere his mouþ.

Blisful þe men þat is chaſtiſid of þe Lord; þanne þe blamyng of þe Lord ne repreue þou. For he woundeþ, and lecheþ; ſmyteþ, and his hondis ſhuln helen. In ſixe tribulaciouns he ſhal deliuere þee, and in þe ſeuenþe ſhal not touche þee euel. In hungir he ſhal deliuere þee fro deþ, and in bataile fro þe hond of ſwerd. Fro þe ſcourge of tunge þou ſhalt ben hid, and þou ſhalt not drede wrecchidneſſe, whan it comeþ. In waſtite and hunger þou ſhalt laȝwhin, and beſte of þe erþe þou ſhalt not dreden. But wiþ ſtones of regiouns þi couenaunt, and þe beſtis of erþe ſhul be peſible to þee. And þou ſhalt wite, þat þi tabernacle haue pes, and viſitende þi kinde þou ſhalt not ſynne.

And þou ſhalt wite alſo, for manyfold ſhal be þi ſed, and þi progenye as þe erbe of þe erþe. Þou ſhalt go in to þe ſepulcre in plenteuouſneſſis, as is born in an hep off whete in his tyme. Lo! þis, as wee han enſerchid, ſo is; þat is herd, in mynde þurȝ trete.