1Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,

stylus

2Whether a wise man schal answere, as spekynge ayens the wynd, and schal fille his stomac with brennyng, `that is, ire?

stylus

3For thou repreuest hym bi wordis, which is not lijk thee, and thou spekist that, that spedith not to thee.

stylus

4As myche as is in thee, thou hast avoidid drede; and thou hast take awey preyeris bifor God.

stylus

5For wickidnesse hath tauyt thi mouth, and thou suest the tunge of blasfemeris.

stylus

6Thi tunge, and not Y, schal condempne thee, and thi lippis schulen answere thee.

stylus

7Whether thou art borun the firste man, and art formed bifor alle little hillis?

stylus

8Whether thou herdist the counsel of God, and his wisdom is lower than thou?

stylus

9What thing knowist thou, whiche we knowen not? What thing vndurstondist thou, whiche we witen not?

stylus

10Bothe wise men and elde, myche eldre than thi fadris, ben among vs.

stylus

11Whether it is greet, that God coumforte thee? But thi schrewid wordis forbeden this.

stylus

12What reisith thin herte thee, and thou as thenkynge grete thingis hast iyen astonyed?

stylus

13What bolneth thi spirit ayens God, that thou brynge forth of thi mouth siche wordis?

stylus

14What is a man, that he be with out wem, and that he borun of a womman appere iust?

stylus

15Lo! noon among hise seyntis is vnchaungable, and heuenes ben not cleene in his siyt.

stylus

16How myche more a man abhomynable and vnprofitable, that drynkith wickidnesse as water?

stylus

17I schal schewe to thee, here thou me; Y schal telle to thee that, that Y siy.

stylus

18Wise men knoulechen, and hiden not her fadris.

stylus

19To whiche aloone the erthe is youun, and an alien schal not passe bi hem.

stylus

20A wickid man is proud in alle hise daies; and the noumbre of hise yeeris and of his tirauntrie is vncerteyn.

stylus

21The sown of drede is euere in hise eeris, and whanne pees is, he supposith euere tresouns.

stylus

22He bileueth not that he may turne ayen fro derknessis to liyt; and biholdith aboute on ech side a swerd.

stylus

23Whanne he stirith hym to seke breed, he woot, that the dai of derknessis is maad redi in his hond.

stylus

24Tribulacioun schal make hym aferd, and angwisch schal cumpas hym, as a kyng which is maad redi to batel.

stylus

25For he helde forth his hond ayens God, and he was maad strong ayens Almyyti God.

stylus

26He ran with neck reisid ayens God, and he was armed with fat nol.

stylus

27Fatnesse, that is, pride `comyng forth of temporal aboundaunce, hilide his face, `that is, the knowyng of vndurstondyng, and outward fatnesse hangith doun of his sidis.

stylus

28He schal dwelle in desolat citees, and in deseert, `ethir forsakun, housis, that ben turned in to biriels.

stylus

29He schal not be maad riche, nether his catel schal dwelle stidefastli; nether he schal sende his roote in the erthe,

stylus

30nether he schal go awei fro derknessis. Flawme schal make drie hise braunchis, and he schal be takun a wey bi the spirit of his mouth.

stylus

31Bileue he not veynli disseyued bi errour, that he schal be ayenbouyt bi ony prijs.

stylus

32Bifor that hise daies ben fillid, he schal perische, and hise hondis schulen wexe drye;

stylus

33he schal be hirt as a vyne in the firste flour of his grape, and as an olyue tre castinge awei his flour.

stylus

34For the gaderyng togidere of an ipocrite is bareyn, and fier schal deuoure the tabernaclis of hem, that taken yiftis wilfuli.

stylus

35He conseyuede sorewe, and childide wickidnesse, and his wombe makith redi tretcheries.

stylus