Job · Chapter 32

[ edit] Theſe þre men laften forſoþe to anſwern to Job, forþi þat riȝtwis he is ſeen to þem. And Elyu, þe ſone of Barachiel Buſites, of þe kynrede of Ram, ys wroþ, and endeyned; he is wroþ aȝen Job, forþi þat he ſhulde ſein hymſelf to be riȝtwis befor God. But aȝen þe þre frendis of hym he dedeynede, forþi þat þei hadden not founde a reſounable anſwere, but onely þei ſhulden han condempned Job. Þanne Eliu abod Job ſpekende, forþi þat eldere þei weren, þat ſpeken. Whan forſoþe he hadde ſeen, þat þe þre myȝten not anſwern, he wraþede hugeli.

And anſwerende Elyu, þe ſone of Barachiel Buſites, ſeide, I am ȝungere in time, ȝee forſoþe eldere; þerfore þe hed leid doun I am ſhamed to ſhewe to ȝou my ſentence. I hopede forſoþe þat þe lengere age ſhulde ſpeke, and þe multitude of ȝeeris ſhulde techen wiſdam. But as I ſee, ſpirit is in men, and þe inbreþing of þe Almyȝti ȝiueþ vnderſtonding. Wiſe men ben not longe liuende, ne olde men vnderſtonde dom. Þerfore I ſhal ſeyn, Hereþ me, and alſo I ſhal ſhewe to ȝou my kunnyng. Forſoþe I haue abide ȝoure woordis, herde ȝoure prudence, whil ȝee ſtriuen in ȝoure woordis.

And whil I wende ȝou any þing to ſeyn, I beheeld; but as I ſee, þer is not, þat mai vnderneme Job, and anſwern of ȝou to his woordis; leſt perauenture ȝee ſeyn, Wee han founde wiſdam; God haþ þrowen hym afeerr, and not man. No þing he haþ ſpoke to me, and I after ȝoure woordis ſhal not anſwere to hym. Þei myche dradden, and anſwerden no more, and token awey ſpeche fro þemſelf. Þanne for I haue abide, and þei ſpeken not, ſtoden, and anſwerden no more; ſhal and I anſwere my partie, and ſhewen my kunnyng. Forſoþe I am ful of woordis, and þe ſpirit of my wombe artiþ me. Lo! my wombe as muſt wiþoute venting, þat brekeþ newe litle win veſſelys.

I ſhal ſpeke, and breþen aȝeen a litil; I ſhal opene my lippis, and anſwern. I ſhal not taken perſone of man, and God to man I ſhal not euenen. I wot neuere forſoþe hou longe I ſhal ſtonde ſtille, and if after a litil take me my Makere.