Job · Chapter 15

[ edit] Anſwerende forſoþe Elifaþ Themanyþes ſeide, Wheþer a wis man ſhal anſwere, as ſpekende in to wind, and he ſhal fulfille wiþ brennyng his ſtomac? Þou vndernemyſt hym wiþ woordis, þat is not euene to þee, and þou ſpekiſt, þat ſpedeþ not to þee. As myche as in þee is, þou haſt voidid drede; and taken awei preȝeeris befor God. Forſoþe þi wickidneſſe tauȝte þi mouþ, and þou folewiſt a tunge of blasfemende men. Þi mouþ ſhal condempne þee, and not I, and þi lippis ſhul anſwer to þee. Wheþer þe firſte man þou art born, and beforn alle hillis formed? Wheþer þe counſeil of God þou haſt herd, and lowere þan þou ſhalt ben his wiſdam? What knewe þou, þat wee vnknowen?

What vnderſtondes þou, þat wee wite not? And men of þe laſte age and of manye ȝeeris ben in vs, myche eldere þan þi fadris. Wheþer gret it is, þat God coumforte þee? But þi ſhreude woordis forfenden þat. What rereþ þee þin herte, and as grete þingis þenkende þou haſt ſtoneȝid eȝen? What aȝen God ſwelleþ þi ſpirit, þat þou ſpeke of þi mouþ ſuche maner woordis? What is a man, þat he be vndefoulid, and riȝtwis ſeme born of a womman? Lo! among his ſeintus noon is vnchaungable, and heuenes ben not clene in his ſiȝt. Hou myche more an abhominable and an vnprofitable man, þat drinkeþ as watris wickidneſſe? I ſhal ſhewe to þee, here me; þat I ſaȝ, I ſhal telle to þee.

Wiſe men knoulechen, and ſhul not hide þer faders. To whom alone is ȝiue þe erþe, and þer ſhal not paſſe an alien bi hem. Alle his daȝis þe vnpitous man proudeþ; and þe noumbre of ȝeris of his tiraundiſe is vncertein. Þe ſoun of ferd euermore in þe eris of hym, and whan pes is, he euermor troweþ aſpies. He beleueþ not þat he mai be turned aȝeen fro dercneſſes vnto liȝt, beholdende ſwerd on alle ſides aboute. Whan he moueþ hymſelf to ſechen bred, he knew, þat dai of dercneſſis is maad redi in his hond. Tribulacioun ſhal gaſten hym, and anguyſh ſhal enuyroune hym, as a king þat is beforn maad redi to bataile. Forſoþe he bende his hond aȝen God, and aȝen þe Almyȝti he is ſtrengþid.

He ran aȝen God þe necke vpriȝt, and he is armed wiþ a fat nol. Fatneſſe couerde his face, and of his ſides grece hangeþ. He ſhall dwelle in deſolat cites, and in deſert houſis, þat ben broȝt in to toumbis. He ſhal not be maad riche, ne his ſubſtaunce ſhal abide ſtille; and he ſhal not putte in þe erþe his roote, ne gon awei fro dercneſſis. His braunchis flaume ſhal make drie, and he ſhal be take awei þurȝ þe ſpirit of his mouþ. Trowe he not in vein bi errour deſceyued, þat for any pris he is to ben aȝeen boȝt. Er his daȝis ben fulfild, he ſhal perſhe, and his hondis ſhul waxe drie; he ſhal ben hurt as a vine, in þe firſte flour his cluſter, and as an oliue þrowende awei his flour.

Forſoþe þe gedering of an ipocrite barein, and fyr ſhal deuoure þer tabernaclis, þat gladli taken ȝiftis. He conceyuede ſorewe, and bar wickidneſſe, and his wombe befor makiþ redi treccheries.