Job 38 Comparison: Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs King James Version

Job 38

¹Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,

²and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?

³Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.

⁴Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.

⁵Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?

⁶On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof,

⁷whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli?

⁸Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe?

⁹Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed.

¹⁰Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;

¹¹and Y seide, `Til hidur thou schalt come, and thou schalt not go forth ferthere; and here thou schalt breke togidere thi bolnynge wawis.

¹²Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?

¹³Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro?

¹⁴A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth.

¹⁵The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun.

¹⁶Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian?

¹⁷Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris?

¹⁸Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis,

¹⁹in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse;

²⁰that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.

²¹Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?

²²Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail?

²³whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel.

²⁴Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe?

²⁵Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,

²⁶and weie of the thundur sownynge? That it schulde reyne on the erthe with out man in desert, where noon of deedli men dwellith?

²⁷That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis?

²⁸Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew?

²⁹Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene?

³⁰Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.

³¹Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis?

³²Whether thou bryngist forth Lucifer, `that is, dai sterre, in his tyme, and makist euene sterre to rise on the sones of erthe?

³³Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?

³⁴Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?

³⁵Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present?

³⁶Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?

³⁷Who schal telle out the resoun of heuenes, and who schal make acordyng of heuene to sleep?

³⁸Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere?

³⁹Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis,

⁴⁰whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes?

⁴¹Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis?

Job 38

¹Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

⁴Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

⁵Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

⁶Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

⁷When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

⁹When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

¹⁰And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

¹¹And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

¹²Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

¹³That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

¹⁴It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

¹⁵And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

¹⁶Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

¹⁷Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

¹⁸Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

¹⁹Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

²⁰That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

²¹Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

²²Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

²³Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

²⁴By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

²⁵Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

²⁶To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

²⁷To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

²⁸Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

²⁹Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

³⁰The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

³¹Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

³²Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

³³Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

³⁴Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

³⁵Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

³⁶Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

³⁷Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

³⁸When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

³⁹Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

⁴⁰When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

⁴¹Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.