Job 30

¹But now yongere men in tyme scornen me, whos fadris Y deynede not to sette with the doggis of my flok.

²Of whiche men the vertu of hondis was for nouyt to me, and thei weren gessid vnworthi to that lijf.

³Thei weren bareyn for nedynesse and hungur; that gnawiden in wildirnesse, and weren pale for pouert and wretchidnesse;

⁴and eeten eerbis, aud the ryndis of trees; and the roote of iunyperis was her mete.

⁵Whiche men rauyschiden these thingis fro grete valeis; and whanne thei hadden foundun ony of alle, thei runnen with cry to tho.

⁶Thei dwelliden in deseertis of strondis, and in caues of erthe, ethir on grauel, `ethir on cley.

⁷Whiche weren glad among siche thingis, and arettiden delices to be vndur buschis.

⁸The sones of foolis and of vnnoble men, and outirli apperynge not in erthe.

⁹But now Y am turned in to the song of hem, and Y am maad a prouerbe to hem.

¹⁰Thei holden me abhomynable, and fleen fer fro me, and dreden not to spete on my face.

¹¹For God hath openyd his arowe caas, and hath turmentid me, and hath set a bridil in to my mouth.

¹²At the riytside of the eest my wretchidnessis risiden anoon; thei turneden vpsedoun my feet, and oppressiden with her pathis as with floodis.

¹³Thei destrieden my weies; thei settiden tresoun to me, and hadden the maistri; and `noon was that helpide.

¹⁴Thei felden in on me as bi a brokun wal, and bi yate openyd, and weren stretchid forth to my wretchidnessis.

¹⁵Y am dryuun in to nouyt; he took awei my desir as wynd, and myn helpe passide awei as a cloude.

¹⁶But now my soule fadith in my silf, and daies of turment holden me stidfastly.

¹⁷In nyyt my boon is persid with sorewis; and thei, that eten me, slepen not.

¹⁸In the multitude of tho my cloth is wastid, and thei han gird me as with coler of a coote.

¹⁹Y am comparisound to cley, and Y am maad lijk to a deed sparcle and aisch.

²⁰Y schal cry to thee, and thou schalt not here me; Y stonde, and thou biholdist not me.

²¹Thou art chaungid in to cruel to me, and in the hardnesse of thin hond thou art aduersarie to me.

²²Thou hast reisid me, and hast set as on wynd; and hast hurtlid me doun strongli.

²³Y woot, that thow schalt bitake me to deeth, where an hows is ordeyned to ech lyuynge man.

²⁴Netheles thou sendist not out thin hond to the wastyng of hem; and if thei fallen doun, thou schalt saue.

²⁵Y wepte sum tyme on him, that was turmentid, and my soule hadde compassioun on a pore man.

²⁶Y abood goodis, and yuelis ben comun to me; Y abood liyt, and derknessis braken out.

²⁷Myn ynnere thingis buyliden out with outen my reste; daies of turment camen bifor me.

²⁸Y yede morenynge, and Y roos with out woodnesse in the cumpenye, and criede.

²⁹Y was the brother of dragouns, and the felow of ostrigis.

³⁰My skyn was maad blak on me, and my boonys drieden for heete.

³¹Myn harpe is turned in to morenyng, and myn orgun in to the vois of weperis.

Job 30

¹But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

²Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?

³For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.

⁴Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.

⁵They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)

⁶To dwell in the clifts of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.

⁷Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.

⁸They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.

⁹And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.

¹⁰They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.

¹¹Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.

¹²Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.

¹³They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.

¹⁴They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.

¹⁵Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.

¹⁶And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

¹⁷My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.

¹⁸By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.

¹⁹He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.

²⁰I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.

²¹Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

²²Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.

²³For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

²⁴Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.

²⁵Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

²⁶When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

²⁷My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

²⁸I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.

²⁹I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.

³⁰My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.

³¹My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.