Job 7

¹Knyythod is lijf of man on erthe, and his daies ben as the daies of an hired man.

²As an hert desireth schadowe, and as an hirede man abideth the ende of his werk;

³so and Y hadde voide monethis, and Y noumbrede trauailous niytes to me.

⁴If Y schal slepe, Y schal seie, Whanne schal Y rise? and eft Y schal abide the euentid, and Y schal be fillid with sorewis `til to derknessis.

⁵Mi fleisch is clothid with rot, and filthis of dust; my skyn driede vp, and is drawun togidere.

⁶My daies passiden swiftliere thanne a web is kit doun `of a webstere; and tho daies ben wastid with outen ony hope.

⁷God, haue thou mynde, for my lijf is wynde, and myn iye schal not turne ayen, that it se goodis.

⁸Nethir the siyt of man schal biholde me; but thin iyen ben in me, and Y schal not `be in deedli lijf.

⁹As a cloude is wastid, and passith, so he that goith doun to helle, schal not stie;

¹⁰nether schal turne ayen more in to his hows, and his place schal no more knowe hym.

¹¹Wherfor and Y schal not spare my mouth; Y schal speke in the tribulacioun of my spirit, Y schal talke togidere with the bitternesse of my soule.

¹²Whether Y am the see, ethir a whal, for thou hast cumpassid me with prisoun?

¹³If Y seie, My bed schal coumfort me, and Y schal be releeuyd, spekynge with me in my bed;

¹⁴thou schalt make me aferd bi dremys, and thou schalt schake me with `orrour, ethir hidousnesse, `bi siytis.

¹⁵Wherfor my soule `chees hangyng, and my boonys cheesiden deth.

¹⁶`Y dispeiride, now Y schal no more lyue; Lord, spare thou me, for my daies ben nouyt.

¹⁷What is a man, for thou `magnifiest hym? ether what settist thou thin herte toward hym?

¹⁸Thou visitist hym eerly, and sudeynli thou preuest hym.

¹⁹Hou long sparist thou not me, nether suffrist me, that Y swolowe my spotele?

²⁰Y haue synned; A! thou kepere of men, what schal Y do to thee? Whi hast thou set me contrarie to thee, and Y am maad greuouse to my silf?

²¹Whi doist thou not awei my sinne, and whi takist thou not awei my wickidnesse? Lo! now Y schal slepe in dust, and if thou sekist me eerli, Y schal not abide.

Job 7

¹Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

²As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:

³So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

⁴When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

⁵My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.

⁶My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.

⁷O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.

⁸The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

⁹As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

¹⁰He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

¹¹Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

¹²Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

¹³When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

¹⁴Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:

¹⁵So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.

¹⁶I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.

¹⁷What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

¹⁸And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?

¹⁹How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

²⁰I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

²¹And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.