Job 18

¹Forsothe Baldach Suythes answeride, and seide,

²`Til to what ende schalt thou booste with wordis? Vndurstonde thou first, and so speke we.

³Whi ben we arettid as beestis, and han we be foule bifor thee?

⁴What leesist thou thi soule in thi woodnes? Whether the erthe schal be forsakun `for thee, and hard stoonys schulen be borun ouer fro her place?

⁵Whethir the liyt of a wickid man schal not be quenchid; and the flawme of his fier schal not schyne?

⁶Liyt schal wexe derke in his tabernacle; and the lanterne, which is on hym, schal be quenchid.

⁷The steppis of his vertu schulen be maad streit; and his counsel schal caste hym doun.

⁸For he hath sent hise feet in to a net; and he goith in the meschis therof.

⁹His foot schal be holdun with a snare; and thirst schal brenne out ayens hym.

¹⁰The foot trappe of hym is hid in the erthe, and his snare on the path.

¹¹Dredis schulen make hym aferd on ech side, and schulen biwlappe hise feet.

¹²His strengthe be maad feble bi hungur; and pouert asaile hise ribbis.

¹³Deuoure it the fairnesse of his skyn; the firste gendrid deth waste hise armes.

¹⁴His trist be takun awei fro his tabernacle; and perischyng, as a kyng, aboue trede on hym.

¹⁵The felowis of hym that is not, dwelle in his tabernacle; brymston be spreynt in his tabernacle.

¹⁶The rootis of hym be maad drie bynethe; sotheli his ripe corn be al to-brokun aboue.

¹⁷His mynde perische fro the erthe; and his name be not maad solempne in stretis.

¹⁸He schal put hym out fro `liyt in to derknessis; and he schal bere hym ouer fro the world.

¹⁹Nethir his seed nether kynrede schal be in his puple, nether ony relifs in hise cuntreis.

²⁰The laste men schulen wondre in hise daies; and hidousnesse schal asaile the firste men.

²¹Therfor these ben the tabernaclis of a wickid man; and this is the place of hym, that knowith not God.

¹Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

²How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

³Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?

⁴He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?

⁵Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

⁶The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.

⁷The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.

⁸For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.

⁹The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.

¹⁰The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.

¹¹Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.

¹²His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.

¹³It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.

¹⁴His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.

¹⁵It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

¹⁶His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.

¹⁷His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

¹⁸He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

¹⁹He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

²⁰They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.

²¹Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.