Job 9

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¹Joob answeride, and seide, Verili Y woot, that it is so,

²and that a man comparisound to God schal not be maad iust.

³If he wole stryue with God, he may not answere to God oon for a thousynde.

⁴He is wiys in herte, and strong in myyt; who ayenstood hym, and hadde pees?

⁵Which bar hillis fro o place to anothir, and thei wisten not; whiche he distriede in his strong veniaunce.

⁶Which stirith the erthe fro his place, and the pilers therof schulen `be schakun togidere.

⁷Which comaundith to the sunne, and it risith not; and he closith the sterris, as vndur a signet.

⁸Which aloone stretchith forth heuenes, and goith on the wawis of the see.

⁹Which makith Ariture, and Orionas, and Hiadas, `that is, seuene sterris, and the innere thingis of the south.

¹⁰Which makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis, of whiche is noon noumbre.

¹¹If he cometh to me, `that is, bi his grace, Y schal not se hym; if he goith awey, `that is, in withdrawynge his grace, Y schal not vndurstonde.

¹²If he axith sodeynli, who schal answere to hym? ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?

¹³`God is he, whos wraththe no man may withstonde; and vndur whom thei ben bowid, that beren the world.

¹⁴Hou greet am Y, that Y answere to hym, and speke bi my wordis with hym?

¹⁵Which also schal not answere, thouy Y haue ony thing iust; but Y schal biseche my iuge.

¹⁶And whanne he hath herd me inwardli clepynge, Y bileue not, that he hath herd my vois.

¹⁷For in a whirlewynd he schal al to-breke me, and he schal multiplie my woundis, yhe, without cause.

¹⁸He grauntith not, that my spirit haue reste, and he fillith me with bittirnesses.

¹⁹If strengthe is souyt, `he is moost strong; if equyte of doom is souyt, no man dar yelde witnessynge for me.

²⁰If Y wole make me iust, my mouth schal dampne me; if Y schal schewe me innocent, he schal preue me a schrewe.

²¹Yhe, thouy Y am symple, my soule schal not knowe this same thing; and it schal anoye me of my lijf.

²²O thing is, which Y spak, he schal waste `bi deth also the innocent and wickid man.

²³If he betith, sle he onys, and leiye he not of the peynes of innocent men.

²⁴The erthe is youun in to the hondis of the wickid; he hilith the face of iugis; that if he is not, who therfor is?

²⁵Mi daies weren swiftere than a corour; thei fledden, and sien not good.

²⁶Thei passiden as schippis berynge applis, as an egle fleynge to mete.

²⁷Whanne Y seie, Y schal not speke so; Y chaunge my face, and Y am turmentid with sorewe.

²⁸Y drede alle my werkis, witynge that thou `woldist not spare the trespassour.

²⁹Sotheli if Y am also thus wickid, whi haue Y trauelid in veyn?

³⁰Thouy Y am waischun as with watris of snow, and thouy myn hondis schynen as moost cleene,

³¹netheles thou schalt dippe me in filthis, and my clothis, `that is, werkis, schulen holde me abhomynable.

³²Trewli Y schal not answere a man, which is lijk me; nether that may be herd euenli with me in doom.

³³`Noon is, that may repreue euer eithir, and sette his hond in bothe.

³⁴Do he awei his yerde fro me, and his drede make not me aferd.

³⁵Y schal speke, and Y schal not drede hym; for Y may not answere dredynge.

Job 9

¹Then Job answered and said,

²I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

³If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

⁴He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

⁵Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

⁶Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

⁷Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

⁸Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

⁹Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

¹⁰Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

¹¹Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

¹²Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

¹³If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

¹⁴How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

¹⁵Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

¹⁶If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

¹⁷For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

¹⁸He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

¹⁹If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

²⁰If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

²¹Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

²²This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

²³If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

²⁴The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

²⁵Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

²⁶They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

²⁷If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

²⁸I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

²⁹If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

³⁰If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

³¹Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

³²For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

³³Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

³⁴Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

³⁵Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.