Job · Chapter 24

[ edit] Fro þe Almyȝti ben not hid þe times; þei forſoþe þat knewen hym, vnknowen his daȝis. Oþere men tranſlateden termes, breeken atwynne þe flockis, and fedden hem. Þei dryuen awei þe aſſe of moderles childer, and token awei for a wed þe oxe of þe widewe. Þei turneden vp ſo doun þe weie of pore men, and opreſſeden togidere þe debonere men of erþe. Oþere men as aſſis in deſert gon out to þer werc; and wakende at þe prey, greiþe bred to fre childer. Þe feld not þers þei deſtroȝen, and his vine, whom bi violence þei opreſſeden, þei kutte þe grapis. Nakid þei leue men, takende awei cloþis, to whom is no koueryng in cold; whom wederes of hillis moiſten, and not hauende wrielys clippe ſtones.

Fors þei diden robbende moderles childer; and þe comun of pore men þei ſpoileden. To þe nakide, and to þe goende wiþoute cloþing, and to þe hungri þei token awei eris. Among þe hipilis of hem þei reſteden in mydday, þe whiche þreſten, þe preſſoures tredid. Þey maden men of citees to weilen, and þe liues of woundid men ſhul crien; and God ſuffreþ not vnuengid to gon awey. Þei weren rebel to liȝt; þei knewen not his weies, ne þei be turned aȝeen bi his ſties. Erli firſt riſeþ þe manſleere, and he ſleþ þe nedy, and þe pore; bi þe nyȝt forſoþe he ſhal ben as a þef. Þe eȝe of þe auoutrer waiteþ derkneſſe, ſeiende, Þe eȝe ſhal not ſee me; and he ſhal coueren his chere.

Þei breeken þurȝ houſis in dercneſſes, as in þe dai þei hadde ſeid togidere to þemſelf; and þei vnknewe liȝt. If feerli apere þe morutid, þei deme þe ſhadewe of deþ; and ſo in dercneſſis þei gon as in liȝt. Liȝt he is vp on þe face of þe water; curſid be his part in þe erþe, ne go he bi þe weie of vines. To ful myche hete he ſhal paſſen fro þe watris of ſnowis, and vnto helle þe ſynne of hym. His mercy be forȝeten; his ſwetneſſe a werm; be he not in recording, but be totrede as a tree vnfructuous. Forſoþe he fedde þe barein, þat bar not child, and to þe widewe he dide not wel. He droȝ doun þe ſtronge men in þer ſtrengþe; and whan he ſhulde ſtonde, he ſhall not trowe to his lif.

God to hym a place of penaunce ȝaf, and he myſuſeþ it in to pride; forſoþe þe eȝen of hym ben in his weies. Þei ben rerid at a litil, and þei ſhul not ſtonde ſtille; and þei ſhul be mekid as alle þinges, and be do awey; and as þe oouermoſtis of corn eris þei ſhul ben to-brooſid. Þat if it is not ſo, who may me vndernyme to han lowen, and to putte beforn God my woordys?