1Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide,

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2Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce.

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3Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi.

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4Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori?

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5Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth.

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6And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch.

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7Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis.

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8Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt.

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9Her housis ben sikur, and pesible; and the yerde of God is not on hem.

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10The cow of hem conseyuede, and caluede not a deed calf; the cow caluyde, and is not priued of hir calf.

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11Her litle children goen out as flockis; and her yonge children `maken fulli ioye with pleies.

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12Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun.

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13Thei leden in goodis her daies; and in a point thei goen doun to hellis.

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14Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies.

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15Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him?

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16Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me.

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17Hou ofte schal the lanterne of wickid men be quenchid, and flowing schal come on hem, and God schal departe the sorewis of his stronge veniaunce?

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18Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood.

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19God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite.

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20Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God.

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21For whi what perteyneth it to hym of his hows aftir hym, thouy the noumbre of his monethis be half takun awey?

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22Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye?

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23This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie.

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24Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis.

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25Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis.

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26And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem.

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27Certis Y knowe youre wickid thouytis, and sentensis ayens me.

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28For ye seien, Where is the hows of the prince? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men?

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29Axe ye ech of `the weie goeris; and ye schulen knowe, that he vndurstondith these same thingis,

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30that an yuel man schal be kept in to the dai of perdicioun, and schal be led to the dai of woodnesse.

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31Who schal repreue hise weies bifor hym? and who schal yelde to hym tho thingis, whiche he hath doon?

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32He schal be led to the sepulcris; and he schal wake in the heep of deed men.

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33He was swete to the `stoonys, ether filthis, of helle; and drawith ech man aftir hym, and vnnoumbrable men bifor him.

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34Hou therfor coumforten ye me in veyn, sithen youre answeris ben schewid to `repugne to treuthe?

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