Job · Chapter 34

[ edit] Tellende forþ forſoþe Elyu, þes þingis alſo ſpac, Hereþ, wiſe men, my woordis, and taȝt, herkneþ me; þe ere forſoþe woordis proueþ, and þe þrote metis bi taſt demeþ. Dom cheſe we to vs; and among vs ſee wee what is betere. For þou ſeidiſt, Job, Riȝtwis I am, and God turnede vp ſo doun my dom. In demyng forſoþe me is leſing, and violent is myn arewe wiþoute any ſynne. Who is a man, as is Job, þat drinkeþ ſcornyng as water? þat goþ wiþ men wirkende wickidneſſe, and wendeþ wiþ vnpytous men? Forſoþe he ſeide, A man ſhal not pleſe to God, alſo if he ſhul renne wiþ hym. Þerfore, herty men, hereþ me; ferr be fro God vnpitouſneſſe, and fro þe Almyȝti wickeneſſe.

Forſoþe þe werk of man he ſhal ȝelde to hym; and after þe weies of echone he ſhal quite to þem. Vereli forſoþe God ſhal not condempne in veyn; ne þe Almyȝti ſhal turne vpſodoun dom. Whom oþer ſette he vp on erþe? or whom putte he vp on þe world, þat he forgide? If he ſhul dreſſe to it his herte, þe ſpirit of it and blaſt he ſhal drawe to hym. Al fleſh ſhal faile to gidere; and a man into aſkis ſhal be turned aȝeen. If þou haſt þanne vndirſtondinge, here þat is ſeid, and herkne þe vois of my ſpeche. Wheþer he þat looueþ not dom mai ben helid? and hou þou hym, þat is riȝtwis, in ſo myche condempneſt? Þat ſeiþ to þe king, Apoſtata; þat clepeþ dukys vnpitous.

Þat takeþ not þe perſones of princis, ne knewȝ þe tiraunt, whan he ſhulde ſtriuen aȝen þe pore; forſoþe þe werk of his hondis ben alle men. Feerli þei ſhul die, and in mydnyȝt puplis ſhul be boowid; and paſſen, and taken awei þe violent wiþoute hond. Forſoþe þe eȝen of hym vp on þe weies of men, and alle þe goingus of hem he beholdeþ. Þer ben not dercneſſis, and þer is not ſhadewe of deþ, þat þer ben hid þere þat werken wickidneſſis; ne forſoþe more ouer in mannys power is, þat he come to God in to dom. He ſhal to-trede manye and vnnoumbrable; and make to ſtonden oþere men for hem. Forſoþe he knew þe werkis of hem; and þerfore he ſhal bringe in nyȝt, and þei ſhul be to-trede.

As vnpitous, he ſmot hem in þe place of men ſeende. Þe whiche as bi ſtudie wente awei fro hym, and alle his weies þei wolde not vnderſtonde. Þat þei make to come to hym þe cri of þe nedi, and he here þe vois of pore men. Hym forſoþe grauntende pes, who is þat condempneþ? Siþen he haþ hid his chere, who is þat beholdeþ hym? And vpon Jentilis and vpon alle men, þe whiche makeþ to regne an ipocrite man, for þe ſynnes of þe puple. Þanne for I ſpac to God, þee alſo I ſhal not forfende. If I haue errid, þou teche me; if wickidneſſe I ſpac, I ſhal adde no mor. Wheþer God of þee aſkeþ it out, for he diſpleſide to þee? Þou forſoþe begunne to ſpeke, and not I; þat if any þing þou knewe betere, ſpec.

Vnderſtondende men, ſpeke þei to me; and a wis man, here he me. Job forſoþe folily ſpac, and þe woordis of hym ſoune not diſciplyne. Fader myn, be preued Job vnto þe ende; ne leue þou fro a man of wickidneſſe, þat addeþ vp on his ſynnes blasfemye. Amongis vs euere among be he ſtreyned; and þanne at þe dom terre he God wiþ his woordis.