Job · Chapter 12

[ edit] Anſwerende forſoþe Job ſeide, Þanne ȝee ben men alone, þat wiþ ȝou dwelle wiſdam? And to me is an herte, as and to ȝou, ne lowere I am þan ȝee; who forſoþe þeſe þingis, þat ȝee knowen, vnknoweþ? Who is ſcorned of his frend, as I, inwardli ſhal clepe God, and he ſhal heren hym; forſoþe þe ſympleneſſe of þe riȝtwiſe is ſcorned. A laumpe deſpiſid anent þe þoȝtis of riche men, maad redi to þe ordeyned time. Þe tabernaclis of reueres abounden; and hardili þei terren God, whan he ȝiueþ alle þingus in to þe hondis of hem. No wunder, aſke þe beſtis, and þei ſhul teche þee; and þe foulis of heuene, and þei ſhul ſhewe to þee.

Spec to þe erþe, and it ſhal anſwer to þee; and þe fiſſhis of þe ſe ſhul telle þo þingis. Who vnknoweþ, þat alle þeſe þingis þe hond of þe Lord made? In whos hond þe ſoule of alle lyuynge, and þe ſpirit of alle fleſh of man. Wheþer not þe ere demeþ woordis, and þe chekis of þe etere ſauour? In olde men is wiſdam, and in myche time prudence. Anent hym is wiſdam and ſtrengþe; he haþ counſeil and vnderſtonding. If he deſtroȝe, no man is þat bilde vp; if he incloſe a man, no man is þat opene. If he holde togidere watris, alle þingus ſhul be maad drie; if he out ſende þem, þei ſhul turne vpſodoun þe erþe. Anent hym is ſtrengþe and wiſdam; he knew and þe begilere and hym þat is begilid.

And he bringeþ forþ þe counſeileris in to a fool ende, and domeſmen in to ſtoneing. Þe girdil of kingus he looſide, and girte wiþ a corde þe reenes of hem. He bringeþ þe preſtis of hem vnglorious, and þe beſte men of wrſhipe he ſupplauntiþ; chaungende þe lippe of trewe men, and þe teching of olde men doende awei. He heeldeþ out deſpiſing vp on princis, and hem, þat weren opreſſid, releueþ. Þat ſheweþ vp depe þingis fro dercneſſis; and bringeþ forþ in to liȝt þe ſhadewe of deþ. Þat multeplieþ Jentilis, and leeſiþ hem, and turned vpſo doun in to þe hoole reſtoreþ. Þat wiþinne chaungeþ þe herte of þe prince of þe puple of þe erþe; and deſceyueþ hem, þat in vein þei go bi wiþoute weie.

Þei ſhul graſpen, as in dercneſſis, and not in liȝt; and he ſhal make þem to erren as drunken.