Job · Chapter 41

[ edit] Wheþer maiſt þou drawen out leuyeþan wiþ an hoc, and wiþ a corde þou ſhalt binde his tunge? Wheþir þou ſhalt putte a ſercle in his noſe þerlis, or wiþ a ring þou ſhalt þerle þurȝ his cheke bon? Wheþer he ſhal multiplie to þee preȝeeris, or ſpeke to þee ſofte þingus? Wheþer he ſhal ſmyte wiþ þee couenaunt, and þou ſhalt take hym euermor ſeruaunt? Wheþer þou ſhalt begile to hym as to a brid, or binden hym wiþ litle hokis? Frendis ſhul hewen hym, marchaundis ſhul deuyden hym? Wheþer þou ſhalt fille nettis wiþ his ſkyn, and þe lep of fiſſhis wiþ þe hed of hym? Put vp on hym þin hond; haue mynde of bataile, and adde þou to ſpeke no more.

Lo! þe hope of hym ſhal maken hym veyn; and alle men ſeende he ſhal ben kaſt doun. Not as cruel I ſhal reren hym; who forſoþe mai wiþſtonde to my chere? And who befor ȝaf to me, þat I ȝeelde to hym? Alle þingus, þat ben vnder heuene, ben myne. I ſhal not ſpare to hym bi myȝti woordis, and to preȝe ſett togidere. Who ſhal ſhewe þe face of his cloþing, and in to þe myddel of his mouþ who ſhal gon in? Þe ȝatis of his chere who ſhal opene? bi cumpas of his teþ drede. His body as ȝoten ſheeldis, and þreſt togidere wiþ ſcalis þreſtende doun hemſelf. Oon to oon is ioyned; and leſt breþing place forſoþe go in bi þem. Oon ſhal cleue to þe toþer, and holdende hemſelue ſhul not ben ſeuered.

His neſing ſhynyng of fyr, and his eȝen as eȝelidis of þe morutid. Of his mouþ laumpis gon forþ, as tend brondus of fyr. Of his noſe þerlis goþ forþ ſmoke, as of a tend pot and boilende. His breþ makeþ colis to brenne, and flaume goþ out of hys mouþ. In his necke ſhal dwelle ſtrengþe, and nede ſhal go beforn his face. Þe membris of his fleſh cleuende to þemſelf; he ſhal ſenden aȝen hym flodis, and to an oþer place þei ſhul not be born. His herte ſhal ben inwardli harded as a ſton; and ſhal be ſtreyned as þe ſtiþie of an hamer betere. Whan he ſhal be taken awei, aungelis ſhul drede; and ferd þei ſhul be purgid. Whan he ſhal cacchen hym, ſwerd ſhal not moun ſtonde, ne ſpere, ne breſt plate.

Forſoþe he ſhal telle bi iren as chaf, and bras as rotun tree. Þe man archer ſhal not driuen hym; in to ſtobil ben turned to hym þe ſtones of þe ſlinge. As ſtobil he ſhal eyme þe hamer; and ſcorne þe man ſhakende a ſpere. Vnder hym ſhul be þe bemes of þe ſunne; and he ſhal leyn vp gold to hym as clei. He ſhal make þe depþe of þe ſe to boilen as a pot; and ſette, as whan oynemens boilen. Aftir hym þe ſty ſhal ȝiue liȝt; and he ſhal eymen þe ſe as an oldli man. Þer is not vp on erþe power, þat be compariſound to hym; þat is maad, þat no man he ſhulde drede. Alle heiȝ þing he ſeeþ; and he ys king vpon alle þe ſones of pride.