Hester (Esther)
Judith
CAP 1. 1 `And so Arphaxat, kyng of Medeis, hadde maad suget many folkis to his empire; and he bildide a ful myyti citee, which he clepide Egbathanys. 2 Of squarid stonys and korfe he made the wallis therof, in the heiythe of thre score cubitis and ten, and in the breede of thritti cubitis. Sotheli he settide the touris therof in the heiythe of an hundrid cubitis. 3 Forsothe bi the square of tho touris euer either side was stretchid forth, bi the space of twenti feet; and he settide the yatis of that citee in the heiythe of the touris. 4 And he hadde glorie, as miyti in the power of his oost, and in the glorie of hise charis. 5 Therfor Nabugodonosor, kyng of Assyriens, that regnede in the grete citee Nynyue, fauyt in the tweluethe yeer of his rewme ayens Arphaxat, and gat him in the greet feeld, 6 `which is clepid Ragau, bisidis Eufrates, and Tigris, and Jadasa, in the feeld of Erioch, kyng of Elichoris. 7 Thanne the rewme of Nabugodonosor was enhaunsid, and his herte was reisid; and he sente to alle men, that dwelliden in Cilicie, and in Damask, and in Liban, 8 and to folkis, that weren in Carmele, and in Cedar, and to men dwellynge in Galile, and in the grete feeld of Esdrolon, and to alle men, 9 that weren in Samarie, and biyende the flood Jordan, `til to Jerusalem; and to al the lond of Jesse, til me come to the hillis of Ethiope. 10 Nabugodonosor, kyng of Assiriens, sente messangeris `to alle these men; `which alle ayenseiden with o wille, and senten ayen hem voide, and castiden awei with out onour. 12 Thanne kyng Nabugodonosor was wrooth to al that lond, and swoor bi his rewme and trone, that he wolde defende him fro alle these cuntreis. CAP 2. 1 In the thrittenthe yeer of kyng Nabugodonosor, in the two and twentithe dai of the firste monethe, a word was maad in the hows of Nabugodonosor, kyng of Assiriens, that he wolde defende hym. 2 And he clepide to hym alle the eldere men, and alle duykis, hise werriouris; and hadde with hem the priuete of his counsel. 3 And he seide, that his thouyte was in that thing, to make suget ech lond to his empire. 4 And whanne this seiyng hadde plesid alle men, `kyng Nabugodonosor clepide Holofernes, prince of his chyualrie, 5 and seide to hym, Go thou out ayens ech rewme of the west, and ayens hem principali, that dispisiden `my comaundement. 6 Thin iyen schal not spare ony rewme, and thou schalt make suget to me ech strengthid citee. 7 Thanne Holofernes clepide the duykis and magistratis of the vertu of Assiriens, and he noumbride men in to the makyng redi, as the kyng `comaundide to hym, sixe score thousynde of foot men fiyteris, and twelue thousynde horse men and archeris. 8 And he made al his puruyaunce to go bifore in multitude of vnnoumbrable camels, with these thingis that suffisiden plenteuousli to the oostis, and droues of oxis, and flockis of scheep, of which was noon noumbre. 9 He ordeynede whete to be maad redi of al Sirie `in his passage. 10 And he took ful myche gold and siluer of the kyngis hows. 11 And he, and al his oost, yede forth with charis, and horse men, and archeris, whiche hiliden the face of the erthe, as locustis doon. 12 And whanne he hadde passid the endis of Assiriens, he came to the grete hillis Auge, that ben at the lift half of Cilicie; and he stiede in to alle the castels of hem, and he gat ech strong place. 13 Forsothe he brak the richeste, ethir famouse, citee Melothi, and robbide alle the sones of Tharsis, and the sones of Ismael, that weren ayens the face of desert, and at the south of the lond Celeon. 14 And he passide Eufrates, and cam in to Mesopotanye, and he brak alle hiye citees that weren there, fro the stronde Manbre til `me come to the see. 15 And he occupiede the endis therof fro Cilicie `til to the endis of Japhet, that ben at the south. 16 And he brouyte alle the sones of Madian, and he `robbide al the richessis of hem; and he killide `bi the scharpnesse of swerd alle men ayenstondynge hym. 17 And after these thingis he cam doun in to the feeldis of Damask, in the daies of ripe corn, and he brente alle cornes, and he made alle trees and vynes to be kit doun; 18 and his drede `felde on alle men `enhabitynge the lond. CAP 3. 1 Thanne kyngis and princes of alle citees and prouynces, that is, of Cirie, of Mesopotanye, and of Sirie Sobal, and of Libie, and of Cilicie, sente her messangeris. `Whiche comynge to Holofernes, seiden, 2 Thin indignacioun ceesse aboute vs; for it is betere, that we lyue and serue Nabugodonosor, the grete kyng, and be suget to thee, than that we die, and suffre with oure perischyng the harmes of oure seruage. 3 Ech citee of oure, al possessioun, alle munteyns, and litle hillis, and feeldis, and droues of oxes, and flockis of scheep, and of geet, 4 and of horsis, and of camels, and alle oure richessis and meyneis ben in thi siyt; alle thingis be vndur thi lawe. 5 Also we and oure children ben thi seruauntis. 6 Come thou a pesible lord to vs, and vse thou oure seruyce, as it plesith thee. 7 Thanne he cam doun fro the hillis, with knyytis in greet `vertu, that is, strengthe, and gat ech citee, and ech man `enhabitynge the lond. 8 Forsothe of alle citees he took to hym helperis, stronge men and chosun to batel. 9 And so grete drede lay on alle prouynces, that enhabiteris of alle citees, princes and `onourid men, yeden togidere out with puplis to meete hym comynge, 10 and `resseyueden hym with corouns and laumpis, and ledden daunsis with pipis and tympans. 11 Netheles thei doynge these thingis myyten not swage the fersnesse of his herte; 12 for whi bothe he distriede her citees, and hew doun her wodis. 13 For kyng Nabugodonosor hadde comaundid to hym, that he schulde distrie alle the goddis of erthe, that is, that he aloone schulde be seid god of alle these naciouns, that myyten be maad suget bi the power of Holofernes. 14 Forsothe he passide al Sirie Sobal, and al Appanye, and al Mesopotanye, and cam to Idumeis `in to the lond of Gabaa; 15 and he took the citees of hem, and dwellide there bi thritti daies, in whiche daies he comaundide al the oost of his power to be gaderid togidere. CAP 4. 1 Thanne the sones of Israel, that dwelliden in the lond of Juda, herden these thingis, and dredden greetli of `his face. 2 Also tremblyng and hidousnesse asailide the wittis of hem, lest he schulde do this thing to Jerusalem and to the temple of the Lord, which thing he hadde do to othere citees and templis of tho. 3 And thei senten in to al Samarie, bi cumpas `til to Jerico, and bifore ocupieden alle the coppis of hillis; 4 and thei cumpassiden her townes with wallis, and gaderiden togidere wheete in to making redi of batel. 5 Also the prest Eliachym wroot to alle men, `that weren ayenus Esdrelon, which is ayenus the face of the grete feeld bisidis Dotaym, and to alle men bi whiche passage myyte be, 6 that thei schulden holde the stiyngis of hillis, bi whiche weie myyte be to Jerusalem, and that thei schulden kepe there, where streyt weie miyte be among hillis. 7 And the sones of Israel diden aftir this, that Eliachym, prest of the Lord, hadde ordeyned to hem. 8 And al the puple criede to the Lord with greet instaunce, and thei and the wymmen of hem mekiden her soulis in fastyngis. 9 And the prestis clothiden hem silf with heyris, and yonge children boweden hem silf ayens the face of the temple of the Lord, and thei hiliden the auter of the Lord with an heire. 10 And thei crieden togidere to the Lord God of Israel, lest the children of hem schulden be youun in to prey, and the wyues of hem in to departyng, and her citees in to distriyng, and her hooli thingis in to defoulyng. 11 Thanne Eliachym, the grete prest of the Lord, cumpasside al Israel, 12 and spak to hem, and seide, Wite ye, that the Lord schal here youre preieris, if ye dwellinge dwellen perfitli in fastyngis and preieris in the siyt of the Lord. 13 Be ye myndful of Moises, the seruaunt of the Lord, which not in fiytynge with irun, but in preiynge with hooli preieris, castide doun Amalech tristinge in his vertu, and in his power, and in his oost, and in hise scheldis, and in hise charis, and in hise knyytis; 14 so alle the enemyes of Israel schulen be cast doun, if ye continuen in this werk, which ye han bigunne. 15 Therfor at this excityng of hym thei preieden hertli the Lord, `and dwelliden in the siyt of the Lord, so that also thei, 16 that offriden brent sacrifices to the Lord, weren gird with heiris, and thei offriden sacrifices to the Lord, and `aische was on her heedis. 17 And alle men of al her herte preieden God, that he wolde visite his puple Israel. CAP 5. 1 And it was teld to Holofernes, prince of the chiualrie of Assiriens, that the children of Israel maden redi hem silf to ayenstonde, and that thei hadden closid togidere the weies of hillis. 2 And bi ouer greet woodnesse he brente out in to greet wrathfulnesse; and he clepide alle the princes of Moab, and the duykis of Amon, 3 and seide to hem, Seie ye to me, who this puple is, that bisegith the hilli places; ethir whiche, and what maner, and hou grete ben her citees; also what is the vertu of hem, ether what is the multitude of hem, ethir who is the kyng of her chyualrie; 4 and whi bifor alle men, that dwellen in the eest, han these men dispisid me, and thei han not go out to resseyue vs with pees? 5 Than Achior, duyk of alle the sones of Amon, answerde and seide, My lord, if thou vouchist saaf to here, Y schal seie treuthe in thi siyt of this puple that dwellith in the hilli places, and a fals word schal not go out of my mouth. 6 This puple is of the generacioun of Caldeis; 7 this puple dwellide firste in Mesopotanye; for thei nolden sue the goddis of her fadris, that weren in the lond of Caldeis. 8 Therfor thei forsoken the cerymonyes of her fadris, that weren with the multitude of goddis, 9 and worschipiden o God of heuene, which also comaundide to hem to go out fro thennus, and to dwelle in Carram. And whanne hungur hadde hilid al the lond, thei yeden doun in to Egipt, and there thei weren so multiplied bi foure hundrid yeer, that the oost of hem myyte not be noumbrid. 10 And whanne the kyng of Egipt hadde greuyd hem, and hadde maad hem sugetis in the bildyngis of hise citees in cley and tijl stoon, thei crieden to her God, and he smoot al the lond of Egipt with dyuerse veniaunces. 11 And whanne Egipcians hadden castid out `hem fro hem silf, and the veniaunce hadde ceessid fro hem, and efte wolden take hem, and ayen clepe to her seruyce, 12 God of heuene openyde the see to these men fleynge, so that on this side and that side the watris weren maad sad as wallis, and these men with dry foot passiden `in walkynge bi the depthe of the see. 13 In which place the while vnnoumbrable oost of Egipcians pursuede hem, it was so kyueryd with watris, that there dwellide not nameli oon, that schulde telle the dede to aftir comeris. 14 Also thei yeden out of the Reed See, and ocupieden the desertis of the hil Sina, in whiche `neuere man myyte dwelle, nethir the sone of man restyde. 15 There bittir wellis weren maad swete to hem for to drynke; and bi fourti yeer thei gaten lyuelode fro heuene. 16 Where euere thei entriden, her God fauyt for hem, and ouer cam with out bouwe and arowe, and without scheld and swerd. 17 And `noon was that castide doun this puple, no but whanne it yede awey fro the worschipyng of her Lord God. 18 Sotheli as ofte euere as thei worschipiden an other outakun thilke her God, thei weren youun in to preye, and in to swerd, and in to schenschip. 19 But as ofte euere as thei repentiden that thei hadden go awei fro the worschipyng of her God, God of heuene yaf to hem vertue to ayenstonde. 20 Forsothe thei castiden doun the kyng Cananei, and Jebusei, and Pheresei, and Ethei, and Euey, and Ammorrei, and alle the myyti men of Esebon, and thei hadden in possessioun the londis of hem, and the citees of hem; 21 and til that thei hadden synned in the siyt of her God, good thingis weren with hem, for the God of hem hatith wickidnesse. 22 For whi and bifor these yeeris, whanne thei hadden go awei fro the weie which God hadde youe to hem, that thei schulden go ther ynne, thei weren distried of naciouns bi many batels, and ful many of hem weren led prisoneris in to a lond not hern. 23 Forsothe a while agoon thei turneden ayen to `her Lord God, and weren gaderid togidere fro the scateryng, in which thei weren scaterid; and thei stieden in to alle these hilli places, and eft thei han Jerusalem in possessioun, where the hooli of hooli thingis ben. 24 Now therfor, my lord, enquere thou perfitli, if ony wickidnesse of hem is in the siyt of her God, and stie we to hem; for her God bitakynge schal bitake hem to thee, and thei schulen be maad suget vndur the yok of thi myyt. 25 Trewli if noon offense of this puple is bifor her God, we moun not ayenstonde hem; for the God of hem schal defende hem, and we schulen be in to schenschip to al erthe. 26 And it was doon, whanne Achior hadde ceessid to speke these wordis, alle the grete men of Holofernes weren wrothe, and thei thouyten to sle hym, 27 and seiden togidere, Who is this that seith, that the sones of Israel, men with outen armure, and with out vertu, and with out kunnyng of the craft of fiytynge, moun ayenstonde kyng Nabugodonosor and hise oostis? 28 Therfor that Achior knowe, that he disseyueth vs, stie we in to the hilli places; and whanne the myyti men of hem ben takun, thanne he schal be persid with swerd with the same men; 29 `that ech folk knowe, that Nabugodonosor is god of erthe, and outakun hym `noon other is. CAP 6. 1 Forsothe it was doon, whanne thei hadden ceessid to speke, Holofernes hadde dedeyn gretli, 2 and seide to Achior, For thou propheciedist to vs, and seidist, that the folk of Israel is defendid of her God, that Y schewe to thee, that no god is no but Nabugodonosor; 3 whanne we han slayn `hem alle as o man, thanne also thou schalt perische with hem bi the swerd of Assiriens, and al Israel schal perische dyuerseli with thee in perdicioun; and thou schalt preue, 4 that Nabugodonosor is lord of al erthe; and thanne the swerd of my chyualrie schal passe thorouy thi sidis, and thou schalt be persid, and schalt falle among the woundid men of Israel, and thou schalt no more brethe ayen, til thou be distried with hem. 5 But certis if thou gessist thi profecie sothe, thi cheer falle not doun; and the palenesse that hath gete thi face, go awey fro thee, if thou gessist that these my wordis moun not `be fillid. 6 But that thou knowe, that thou schalt feele this thing togidere with hem, lo! fro this our thou schalt be felouschipid to the puple of hem, that whanne thei han take worthi peynes of my swerd, thou be suget to lijk veniaunce. 7 Thanne Olofernes comaundide hise seruauntis to take Achior, and to lede hym in to Bethulia, and to bitake hym in to the hondis of the sones of Israel. 8 And the seruauntis of Olofernes token him, and yeden forth bi the feeldi places, but whanne thei hadden neiyid to the hilli places, slingeris yeden out ayens hem. 9 Sotheli thei turneden awei fro the side of the hil, and bounden Achior to a tre bi hondis and feet, and so thei leften hym boundun with withthis, and turneden ayen to her lord. 10 Certis the sones of Israel yeden doun fro Bethulia, and camen to hym, whom thei vnbounden, and ledden to Bethulia, and thei settiden hym in to the myddis of the puple, and axiden, what manere of thinges bifel, that Assiriens hadden left hym boundun. 11 In tho daies princes weren there, Ozias, the sone of Mycha, of the lynage of Symeon, and Charmy, which is also Gothonyel. 12 Therfor in the myddis of eldere men, and in the siyt of alle men, Achior seide alle thingis, whiche he was axid of Holofernes, and hadde spoke, and hou the puple of Holofernes wolde sle hym for this word, 13 and hou Holofernes hym silf was wrooth, and comaundide hym to be bitakun for this cause to men of Israel, that the while he ouercam the sones of Israel, thanne he comaundide that also thilk Achior perische bi dyuerse turmentis, for this that he hadde seid, God of heuene is the defendere of hem. 14 And whanne Achior hadde expowned alle thingis, al the puple felde doun on the face, and worschipide the Lord; and with comyn weilyng and wepyng thei schedden out to the Lord her preyeris of o wille, 15 seiynge, Lord God of heuene and of erthe, biholde the pride of hem, and biholde thou to oure mekenesse, and perseyue the face of thi seyntis, and schewe that thou forsakist not men tristynge of thee, and thou makist low men tristynge of hem silf, and `men hauynge glorie of her vertu. 16 Therfor whanne the wepyng was endid, and the preier of the puple bi al the dai was fillid, 17 thei coumfortiden Achior, and seiden, God of oure fadris, whos vertu thou prechidist, he is rewardere, and schal yyue to thee this while, that thou se more the perischyng of hem. 18 Forsothe whanne `oure Lord God hath youe this fredom to hise seruauntis, also the Lord be with thee in the myddis of vs, that as it plesith thee, so thou lyue with `alle thi thingis. 19 Thanne after that the counsel was endid, Ozias resseyuede hym in to his hows, and made a greet soper to hym. 20 And whanne alle the prestis weren clepid togidere, aftir that the fastyng was fillid, thei refreischiden Achior `and hem silf. 21 Forsothe aftirward al the puple was clepid togidere, and thei preieden bi al the niyt with ynne the chirche, and axiden help of God of Israel. CAP 7. 1 Forsothe in `the tother dai Holofernes comaundide hise oostis to stie ayens Bethulia. 2 Forsothe there weren sixe score thousynde `foot men of fiyteris, and twelue thousynde knyytis, `outakun the makyng redi of tho men, whiche caitifte hadde ocupied, and weren brouyt fro prouynces and citees, of alle yongthe. 3 Alle togidere maden hem redi to batel ayens the sones of Israel; and thei camen bi the side of the hil `til to the cop, that biholdith Dothaym, fro the place which is seid Belma `til to Selmon, which is ayens Esdrolon. 4 Forsothe the sones of Israel, as thei sien the multitude of hem, bowiden doun hem silf on the erthe, and senten aische on her heedis, and preiden with o wille, that God of Israel schulde schewe his merci on his puple. 5 And thei token her armuris of batel, and saten bi the places `that dressen the path of streyt weie bitwixe hilli places, and thei kepten tho places al the dai and nyyt. 6 Certis Holofernes, the while he yede aboute bi cumpas, foonde that the welle, that flowide in to the watir cundit of hem, was dressid at the south part with out the citee, and he comaundide her watir cundit to be kit. 7 Netheles wellis weren not fer fro the wallis, of whiche wellis thei weren seyn to drawe watir bi thefte, rather to refreische than to drynke. 8 But the sones of Amon and of Moab neiyiden to Holofernes, and seiden, The sones of Israel tristen not in spere and arowe, but hillis defenden hem, and litle hillis set in the rooche of stoon maken hem stronge. 9 Therfor that thou maist ouercome hem without asailyng of batel, sette thou keperis of wellis, that thei drawe not of tho; and thou schalt sle hem without swerd, ethir certis thei maad feynt schulen bitake her citee, which thei gessen `to mow not be ouercomun `in the hillis. 10 And these wordis plesiden bifor Holofernes, and bifor alle hise knyytis; and he ordeynede bi cumpas bi ech welle an hundrid men. 11 And whanne `this kepyng was fillid bi twenti daies, cisternes and gaderyngis of watris fayliden to alle men dwellynge in Bethulia, so that there was not with ynne the citee, wherof thei schulden be fillid, nameli o dai, for the watir was youun at mesure to the puplis ech dai. 12 Thanne alle men and wymmen, yonge men and elde, and litle children, weren gaderid togidere to Ozie, and alle thei seiden to gidere with o vois, 13 The Lord deme bitwixe vs and thee, for thou, not wyllynge speke pesibli with Assiriens, hast `do yuels ayenus vs, and for this thing God hath seld vs in the hondis of hem. 14 And therfor `noon is that helpith, whanne we ben cast doun in thirst, and in greet los bifor her iyen. 15 And now gadere ye togidere alle men, that ben in the citee, that alle we puplis bitake vs bi fre wille to Holofernes. 16 It is betere that we prisoneris blesse God and lyue, than that we die, and be schenschip to ech man, sithen we seen that oure wyues and oure yonge children dien bifor oure iyen. 17 We clepen in to witnessyng to dai heuene and erthe, and the God of oure fadris, that punischith vs aftir oure synnes, that nowe ye bitake the citee in to the hondis of the chyualrie of Holofernes, and oure ende be schort in the scharpnesse of swerd, which ende is maad lengere in the drynesse of thirst. 18 And whanne thei hadden seid these thingis, greet wepyng and yellyng was maad of alle men in the grete chirche, and bi many ouris thei crieden `with o vois to the Lord, 19 and seiden, We and oure fadris han synned, we han do vniustli, we diden wickidnesse. 20 Thou, for thou art mercyful, haue mercy on vs, and venge oure wickidnessis in thi scourge; and nyle thou bitake men knoulechynge thee to a puple that knowith not thee, 21 that thei seie not amonge hethene men, Where is the God of hem? 22 And whanne thei weren maad feynt with these cries, and weren maad wery with these wepyngis, and weren stille, 23 Ozie roos up, bisched with teeris, and seide, Britheren, be ye pacient, and bi these fyue daies abide we mercy of the Lord; 24 for in hap he schal kitte a wei his indignacioun, and schal yyue glorie to his name. 25 Sotheli if whanne these fyue daies ben passid, help cometh not, we schulen do these wordis whiche ye han spoke. CAP 8. 1 And it was doon, whanne Judith, the widowe, had herd these wordis, whiche Judith was the douyter of Merary, the sone of Idor, the sone of Joseph, the sone of Ozie, the sone of Elai, the sone of Jamnor, the sone of Jedeon, the sone of Raphony, the sone of Achitob, the sone of Melchie, the sone of Euam, the sone of Mathanye, the sone of Salatiel, the sone of Symeon, the sone of Ruben. 2 And hir hosebonde was Manasses, that was deed in the daies of barli heruest; 3 for he stood bisili ouer men byndynge togidere reepis in the feeld, and heete cam on his heed, and he was deed in Bethulia his citee, and was biried there with hise fadris. 4 Sotheli Judith left of hym was widewe thanne thre yeer and sixe monethis. And in the hiyere partis of hir hows sche made to hir a priuy closet, in which sche dwellide cloos with hir damesels; 6 and sche hadde an heire on her leendis, and fastide alle the daies of hir lijf, outakun sabatis, and the `bigynnyngis of monethis, and the feestis of the hows of Israel. 7 Sotheli sche was of ful semeli biholdyng, to whom hir hosebonde hadde left many richessis, and plenteuouse meynee, and possessiouns ful of droues of oxis, and of flockis of scheep. 8 And this Judith was moost famouse among alle men; for sche dredde God greetli, nethir ony was that spak of hir an yuel word. 9 Therfor whanne this Judith hadde herd, that Ozie hadde bihiyte, that whanne the fyuethe day was passid, he wolde bitake the citee, sche sente to the prestis Cambri and Carmy. 10 And thei camen to hir; and sche seide to hem, What is this word, in which Ozie consentide to bitake the citee to Assiriens, if with ynne fyue daies help cometh not to vs? 11 And who ben ye that tempten the Lord? 12 This `word is not that stirith merci; but rather that stirith ire, and kyndlith woodnesse. 13 Han ye set tyme of the merciful doynge of the Lord, and in youre wille `ye han set a dai to hym? 14 But for the Lord is pacient, do we penaunce for this synne, and axe we with teeris his foryyuenesse; 15 for God schal not manaasse so as man, nethir as `a sone of man he schal be enflawmed to wrathfulnesse. 16 And therfor meke we oure soulis to hym, and in contrit spirit and maad meke serue we hym; 17 and seie we wepynge to the Lord, that aftir his wille so he do his merci with vs; and as oure herte is troblid in the pride of hem, so haue we glorie `also of oure mekenesse. 18 For we `sueden not the synnes of oure fadris, that forsoken her God, and worschipiden alien goddis; 19 for which greet trespas thei weren youun to her enemyes in to swerd, and in to raueyn, and in to confusioun; but we knowen not an othir God outakun hym. 20 `Abide we meke his coumfort, and he schal seke oure blood of the turmentis of oure enemies; and he schal make meke alle folkis, whiche euer risen ayens vs; and oure Lord God schal make hem without onour. 21 And now, britheren, for ye ben prestis in the puple of God, and the soule of hem hangith of you, reise ye her hertis at youre speche, that thei be myndeful, that oure fadris weren temptid, that thei schulden be preued, whethir thei worschipiden God verili. 22 Thei owen to be myndeful, hou oure fadir Abraham was temptid, and he was preuyd bi many tribulaciouns, and was maad the frend of God. 23 So Isaac, so Jacob, so Moyses, and alle that plesiden `the Lord, passiden feithful bi many tribulaciouns. 24 Sotheli thei that resseyueden not temptaciouns with the drede of the Lord, and brouyten forth her vnpacience, and the schenschip of her grutchyng `ayens the Lord, 25 weren distried of a distriere, and perischiden of serpentis. 26 And therfor venge we not vs for these thingis whiche we suffren; 27 but arette we, that these same turmentis ben lesse than oure synnes, and bileue we, as seruauntis of the Lord that ben chastisid, that the betyngis of the Lord ben comun to amendyng, and not to oure perdicioun. 28 And Ozie and the prestis seiden to hir, Alle thingis, whiche thou hast spoke, ben sothe, and no repreuyng is in thi wordis. 29 Now therfor preie thou for vs, for thou art an hooli womman, and dredynge God. 30 And Judith seide to hem, As ye knowen, that this, that Y myyte speke, is of God, 31 so preue ye, if this that Y purposide to do, is of God; and preie ye, that God make stidfast my counsel. 32 Ye schulen stonde at the yate this niyt, and Y schal go out with my fre handmayde; and preie ye, that, as ye seiden, the Lord biholde his puple Israel in fyue daies. 33 But Y nyle, that ye enquere my doyng, and til that Y telle to you, `noon othir thing be doon, no but preier for me to oure Lord God. 34 And Ozie, the prince of Juda, seide to hir, Go thou in pees, and the Lord be with thee in the veniaunce of oure enemyes. And thei turneden ayen, and yeden awey. CAP 9. 1 And while thei yeden awei, Judith entride in to hir oratorie, and sche clothide hir silf with an heire, and puttide aische on hir heed; and sche bowide doun hir silf to the Lord, and criede to the Lord, and seide, 2 Lord God of my fadir Symeon, which yauest to hym a swerd in to defence of aliens, that weren defouleris in her defoulyng, and maden nakid the hipe of a virgyn in to confusioun; 3 and thou yauest the wymmen of hem in to prey, the douytris of hem in to caitifte, and al the prey in to departyng to thi seruauntis, that loueden feruentli thi feruent loue; Lord, Y biseche, helpe thou me a widewe. 4 For thou madist the formere thingis, and thouytist tho thingis aftir tho, and this thing is maad, which thou woldist. 5 For alle thi weies ben redi, and thou has set thi domes in thi puruyaunce. 6 Biholde thou the castels of Assiriens now, as thou vouchidist saaf to biholde thanne the castels of Egipcians, whanne thei runnen armed after thi seruauntis, and tristiden in charis, and in multitude of her knyytis, and in multitude of werriours. 7 But thou biheldist on the castels of hem, and derknessis maden hem feynt; the botme of the see helde her feet, 8 and watris hiliden hem. 9 Lord, `also these men be maad so, that tristen in her multitude, and in her charis, and in scharp schaftis with oute irun, and in her arowis; and han glorie in her speris; 10 and witen not, that thou thi silf art oure God, that `al to-brekist batels fro the bigynnyng, and the Lord is name to thee. 11 Reise thin arm as at the bigynnyng, and hurle doun the power of hem `in thi vertu; the power of hem falle doun in thi wrathfulnesse, whiche biheten hem to defoule `thin hooli thingis, and to defoule the tabernacle of thi name, and to cast doun with her swerd the horn of thin auter. 12 Lord, make thou that the pride of hem be kit of with her owne swerd; 13 be he takun with the snare of hise iyen in me; and thou schalt smyte hym with the lippis of my charite. 14 Yyue thou to me stidfastnesse in soule, that Y dispise hym and his vertu, and distrie hym. 15 For it schal be a memorial of thi name, whanne the hondis of a womman han cast hym doun. 16 For whi, Lord, thi vertu is not in multitude, nether thi wille is in the strengthis of horsis; and proude spiritis plesiden not thee at the bigynnyng, but the preier of meke men and mylde `pleside euere thee. 17 God of heuenes, the creatour of watris, and Lord of alle creature, here thou me wretchid womman preiynge and tristynge of thi merci. 18 Lord, haue thou mynde of thi testament, and yyue thou a word in my mouth, and make thou strong the counsel in myn herte, that thin hows dwelle perfitly in thin halewyng; 19 and that alle folkis knowe, that thou art God, and noon other is outakun thee. CAP 10. 1 Forsothe it was doon, whanne sche hadde ceessid to crie to the Lord, sche roos fro the place, in which sche lay bowid doun to the Lord. 2 And sche clepide hir fre handmaide, and cam doun in to hir hows; and sche took awei fro hir the heire, and vnclothide hir silf fro the clothing of hir widewehod. 3 And sche waischide hir bodi, and anoyntide hir with beste myrre, and sche schedide the heer of hir heed, and settide a mytre on hir heed, and sche clothide hir with the clothis of hyr gladnesse, and clothide hir feet with sandalies; and sche took ournementis of the armes, and lilies, and eeryngis, and ryngis, and ournede hir silf with alle hir ournementis. 4 To whom also the Lord yaf briytnesse, for al this ourenement hangide not of letcherie, but of vertu; and therfor the Lord `made large this fairnesse on hir, that bi `vncomparable fairnesse sche apperide to the iyen of alle men. 5 Therfor sche puttide on hir fre handmaide a botel of wyn, and a vessel of oile, and meet maad of meele, and dried figus, and looues, and cheese, and yeden forth. 6 And whanne thei weren comen to the yate of the citee, thei founden Ozie and the prestis of the citee abidynge hir. 7 And whanne thei hadden seyn hir, thei weren astonyed, and wondriden ful myche on hir fairnesse. 8 Netheles thei axiden hir no thing, and leeten passe, and seiden, The God of oure fadris yyue grace to thee, and make strong with his vertu al the counsel of thin herte, and Jerusalem haue glorie on thee, and thi name be in the noumbre of hooli and iust men. 9 And alle thei, that weren there, seiden with o vois, Be it doon! be it doon! 10 Therfor Judith preiede the Lord, and passide thorouy the yatis, sche and hir fre handmayde. 11 Forsothe it was doon, whanne sche cam doun of the hil aboute the risynge of the dai, the aspieris of Assiriens metten hir, and helden hir, and seiden, Fro whennus comest thou, ether whidur goist thou? 12 And sche answeride, Y am a douyter of Ebreis, and therfor Y fledde fro the face of hem, for Y knew, that it schal come, that thei schulen be youun to you in to prey, for thei dispisiden you, and nolde bitake hem silf wilfuli, that thei schulden fynde grace in youre siyt. 13 For this cause Y thouyte with me, and seide, Y schal go to the face of the prynce Holofernes, for to schewe to hym the priuytees of hem, and Y schal schewe to hym, bi what entryng he mai gete hem, so that not o man of his oost falle doun. 14 And whanne tho men hadden herd the wordis of hir, thei bihelden hir face, and wondryng was in her iyen, for thei wondriden greetli on hir fairnesse. 15 And thei seiden to hir, Thou hast kept thi lijf, for thou hast founde sich a counsel, that thou woldist come doun to oure lord. 16 Sotheli wite thou this, that, whanne thou `hast stonde in his siyt, he schal do wel to thee, and thou schalt be moost acceptable in his herte. And thei ledden hir to the tabernacle of Holofernes, and thei schewiden hir to hym. 17 And whanne sche hadde entrid bifor his face, anoon Holofernes was takun bi hise iyen. 18 And hise knyytis seiden to hym, Who schal dispise the puple of Jewis, whiche han so faire wymmen, that we owen not to fiyte skilfuli ayenus hem for these wymmen? 19 Therfor Judith siy Holofernes sittynge in a curteyn, round bynethe and scharp aboue, that was wouun of purpur, and gold, and smaragde, and moost preciouse stoonys, 20 and whanne sche hadde lokid in to his face, sche worschipide hym, and bowide doun hir silf on the erthe; and the seruauntis of Holofernes reisiden hir, for her lord comaundide. CAP 11. 1 Thanne Holofernes seide to hir, Be thou coumfortid, and nyle thou drede in thin herte, for Y neuere anoyede man, that wolde serue Nabugodonosor, the kyng. 2 Sotheli if thi puple hadde not dispisid me, Y hadde not reisid `myn hond on it. 3 But `now seie to me, for what cause yedist thou awei fro hem, and it pleside thee to come to vs. 4 And Judith seide, Take thou the wordis of thin handmaide; for, if thou suest the wordis of thin handmaide, the Lord schal make a perfit thing with thee. 5 Forsothe Nabugodonosor, the kyng of erthe, lyueth, and his vertu lyueth, which is in thee to the chastisyng of alle soulis errynge; for not oneli men schulen serue hym `bi thee, but also beestis of the feeld obeien to hym. 6 For the prudence of thi soule is teld to alle folkis; and it is schewid to al the world, that thou aloon art good and myyti in al his rewme; and thi techyng is prechid in alle prouyncis. 7 Nether this thing is hid, which Achior spak, nether that thing is vnknowun, which thou comaundidist to bifalle to hym. 8 For it is knowun, that oure God is so offendid bi synnes, that he sente bi hise profetis to the puple, that he wolde bitake hem for her synnes. 9 And for the sones of Israel witen, that thei han offendid `her Lord God, the tremblyng of hym is on hem. 10 Ferthermore also hungur hath asailid hem, and for drynesse of watir thei ben rikenyd now among deed men. 11 Forsothe thei ordeynen this, that thei sle her beestis, and drynke her blood; 12 and thei thouyten to yyue these hooli thingis `of her Lord in wheete, wyn, and oile, whiche God comaundide to be not touchid, and thei wolen waste the thingis, which thei ouyten not touche with hondis; therfor for thei doen these thingis, it is certeyn that thei schulen be youun in to perdicioun. 13 Which thing Y, thin handmaide, knew, and fledde fro hem, and the Lord sente me to telle these same thingis to thee. 14 For Y, thin handmaide, worschipe God, also now at thee; and thin handmaide schal go out, and Y schal preie God; 15 and he schal seie to me, whanne he schal yelde to hem her synne; and Y schal come, and telle to thee, so that Y brynge thee thorouy the myddis of Jerusalem, and thou schalt haue al the puple of Israel as scheep `to whiche is no scheepherde, and ther schal not berke ayens thee nameli oon; 16 for these thingis ben seid to me bi the puruyaunce of God. 17 And for God is wrooth to hem, Y am sente to telle to thee these same thingis. 18 Sotheli alle these wordis plesiden bifor Holofernes, and bifore hise children; and thei wondriden at the wisdom of hir; and oon seide to another, 19 Ther is not sich a womman on erthe in siyt, in fairenesse, and in wit of wordis. 20 And Holofernes seide to hir, God dide wel, that sente thee bifor the puple, that thou yyue it in myn hondis; 21 and for thi biheest is good, if thi God doith these thingis to me, he schal be also my God, and thow schalt be greet in the hows of Nabugodonosor, and thi name schal be nemyd in al erthe. CAP 12. 1 Thanne Holofernes comaundide hir to entre, where his tresouris weren kept, and he comaundide hir to dwelle there; and he ordeynede, what schulde be youun to hir of his feeste. 2 To whom Judith answeride, and seide, Now Y may not ete of these thingis, which thou comaundidist to be youun to me, lest offence come on me; but Y schal ete of these thingis, whiche Y brouyte with me. 3 To whom Holofernes seide, If these thingis failen, whiche thou brouytist with thee, what schulen we do to thee? 4 And Judith seide, Lord, thi soule lyueth, for thin handmaide schal not spende alle these thingis, til God schal do in myn hondis these thingis which Y thouyte. And hise seruauntis ledden hir in to the tabernacle, whidur he hadde comaundid. 5 And sche axide, the while sche entride, that fredom schulde be youun to hir to go out to preier, in the nyyt, and bifor the liyt, and to biseche the Lord. 6 And he comaundide to his chaumberleyns, that, as it pleside hir, sche schulde go out, and entre, for to preie hir God bi thre daies. 7 And sche yede out in nyytis in to the valei of Bethulia, and waischide hir silf in the welle of watir. 8 And as sche stiede, sche preiede the Lord God of Israel, that he wolde dresse hir weie to the delyueraunce of his puple. 9 And sche entride, and dwellide clene in the tabernacle, til that sche took hir mete in the euentid. 10 And it was doon in the fourthe dai, Holofernes made a soper to hise seruauntis, and he seide to Vagao, the chaumburleyn, Go thou, and councele that Ebrew womman, that sche consente wilfuli to dwelle with me. 11 For it is foul anentis Assiriens, if a womman scorne a man, in doynge that sche passe `with out part fro hym. 12 Thanne Vagao entride to Judith, and seide, A good damesele be not aschamed to entre to my lord, that sche be onourid bifor his face, and that sche eete with hym, and drynke wiyn with gladnesse. 13 To whom Judith answeryde, Who am Y, that Y ayenseie my lord? 14 Y schal do al thing, that schal be good and best bifor hise iyen. Sotheli what euer thing plesith hym, this schal be best to me in alle the daies of my lijf. 15 And sche roos, and ournede hir silf with hir clothis, and entride, and stood bifor `his face. 16 Forsothe the herte of Holofernes was stirid; for he was brennynge in the coueitise of hir. 17 And Holofernes seide to hir, Drynke thou now, and take mete in gladnesse; for thou hast founde grace bifor me. 18 And Judith seide, Lord, Y schal drynke, for my soule is magnyfied to dai bifor alle the daies of my lijf. 19 And sche took, and eet, and drank bifor hym tho thingis, whiche hir handmayde hadde maad redi to hir. 20 And Holofernes was maad glad `to hir, and he drank ful myche wiyn, hou myche he hadde neuere drank in o dai in his lijf. CAP 13. 1 Forsothe as euentid was maad, hise seruauntis hastiden to her ynnes; and Vagao closid togidere the doris of the closet, and yede forth. 2 For alle men weren maad feynt of wiyn; 3 and Judith aloone was in the closet. 4 Certis Holofernes lai in the bed, aslepid with ful myche drunkenesse. 5 And Judith seide to hir damesele, that sche schulde stonde with outforth bifor the dore of the closet, and aspie. 6 And Judith stood bifor the bed, preiynge with teeris, and with stiryng of lippis `in silence, 7 seiynge, Lord God of Israel, conferme me, and biholde in this our to the werkis of myn hondis, that, as thou bihiytist, thou reise Jerusalem thi citee; and that Y performe this thing, which thing Y bileuynge thouyte to mow be doon bi thee. 8 And whanne sche hadde seid this, sche neiyede to the piler that was at the heed of his bed, and sche loside his swerd, that hangide boundun `ther ynne. 9 And whanne sche hadde drawe out of the scheeth thilke swerd, sche took the heer of his heed; and seide, Lord God of Israel, conferme me in this our. 10 And sche smoot twies on his necke, and kittide awei his heed; and sche took awei his curteyn fro the pileris, and walewide awei his bodi heedles. 11 And aftir a litil sche yede out, and bitook the heed of Holofernes to hir handmaide, and comaundide, that sche schulde putte it in to hir scrippe. 12 And the twei wymmen yeden out `bi her custom as to preier, and passiden the castels of Assiriens, and thei cumpassiden the valei, and camen to the yate of the citee. 13 And Judith seide afer to the keperis of the wallis, `Opene ye the yatis, for God is with vs, that hath do greet vertu in Israel. 14 And it was doon, whanne the men hadden herd `her vois, thei clepiden the prestis of the citee. 15 And alle men fro the leest `til to the mooste runnen to hir; for thei hopiden not, that sche schulde come now. 16 And thei teendiden liytis, and alle men cumpassiden aboute hir. Sotheli sche stiede in to an hiyere place, and comaundide silence to be maad. And whanne alle men weren stille, 17 Judith seide, Herie ye `oure Lord God, that hath not forsake hem that hopen in hym, 18 and bi me, his handmaide, he hath fillid his merci, which he bihiyte to the hows of Israel, and hath slayn in myn hond the enemye of his puple `in this niyt. 19 And sche `brouyte forth of the scrippe the heed of Holofernes, and schewide it to hem, and seide, Lo! the heed of Holofernes, prince of the chiualrie of Assiriens; and, lo! his curteyn, in which he lay in his drunkenesse, where also oure Lord God killide hym bi the hond of a womman. 20 Forsothe the Lord God lyueth, for his aungel kepte me, bothe goynge fro hennus, and dwellynge there, and turnynge ayen fro thennus hidur; and the Lord `suffride not his handmaide to be defoulid, but with out defoulyng of synne he ayen clepid me to you, and Y haue ioie in his victorie, and in `my scapyng, and in youre delyueraunce. 21 Knouleche ye alle to hym, for he is good, for his mercy is in to `the world. 22 Sotheli alle men worschipiden the Lord, and seiden to hir, The Lord hath blessid thee in his vertu, for bi thee he hath brouyt to nouyt oure enemyes. 23 Certis Ozie, prince of the puple of Israel, seide to hir, Douytir, thou art blessid of the hiy Lord God, bifor alle wymmen on erthe. 24 Blessid be the Lord, that made heuene and erthe, and that dresside thee in to the woundis of the heed of the prince of oure enemyes; 25 for to dai he hath magnefied so thi name, that thi preisyng go not awei fro the mouth of men, that schulen be myndeful of the vertu of the Lord with outen ende; for whiche thou sparidist not thi lijf for the angwischis and tribulaciouns of thi kyn, but helpidist the fallinge bifor the siyt of oure God. 26 And al the puple seide, `Be it! be it! 27 Forsothe Achior was clepid, and cam; and Judith seide to hym, Thilke God of Israel, to whom thou yauest witnessyng, that he auengith hym of hise enemyes, hath kit of the heed of alle vnbileueful men in this niyt bi myn hond. 28 And that thou preue that it is so, lo! the heed of Holofernes, which in the dispit of his pride dispiside God of Israel, and manaasside deth to thee, and seide, Whanne the puple of Israel is takun, Y schal comaunde thi sidis to be persid with a swerd. 29 Sotheli Achior siy the heed of Holofernes, and was angwischid for drede, and felde doun on his face on the erthe, and his soule suffride eneyntisyng. 30 Sotheli aftir that he hadde take ayen spirit, and was coumfortid, he felde doun at `hir feet, and worschipide hir, 31 and seide, Blessid art thou of thi God in al the tabernacle of Jacob; for in ech folk, that schal here thi name, God of Israel schal be magnyfied in thee. CAP 14. 1 Forsothe Judith seide to al the puple, Britheren, here ye; hang ye this heed on youre wallis. 2 And it schal be, whanne the sunne `goith out, ech man take hise armuris, and go ye out with feersnesse, not that ye go doun binethe, but as makyng asauyt. 3 Thanne it schal be nede, that the spieris of the lond fle to reise her prynce to batel. 4 And whanne the duykis of hem rennen togidere to the tabernacle of Holofernes, and fynden hym heedles, waltrid in his blood, dreed schal falle doun on hem. 5 And whanne ye knowen that thei fleen, go ye sikirli aftir hem, for God schal al to-breke hem vndur youre feet. 6 Thanne Achior siy the vertu that God of Israel hadde do, and he forsook the custom of hethenesse, and bileuede to God; and he circumcidede the fleisch of his yerde, and he was put to the puple of Israel, and al the aftircomyng of his kyn `til in to this dai. 7 Forsothe anoon as the dai roos, thei hangiden the heed of Holofernes on the wallis; and ech man took his armuris, and thei yeden out with grete noise and yellyng. 8 Which thing the aspieris sien, and runnen to the tabernacle of Holofernes. 9 Certis thei, that weren in the tabernacle, camen, and maden noise bifore the entryng of the bed, and ymagyneden by craft vnrestfulnesse for cause of reisyng, that Holofernes schulde awake not of the reiseris, but of sowneris. 10 For no man was hardi to opene the tabernacle of the vertu of Assiriens bi knockyng ethir bi entryng. 11 But whanne hise duykis, and tribunes, and alle the grettere men of the oost of the kyng of Assiriens weren comen, thei seiden to the chaumburleyns, Entre ye, and reise ye hym; 12 for myis ben goon out of her caues, and doren excite vs to batel. 13 Thanne Vagao entride in to his closet, and stood bifor the curtyn, and made betyng togidere with hise hondis; for he supposide hym to slepe with Judith. 14 But whanne he perseyuede not `with wit of eeris ony stiryng of Holofernes liggynge, he cam neiyynge to the curtyn, and he `reiside it, and siy the deed bodi with out the heed `of Holofernes `maad slow in his blood ligge on the erthe, and he criede bi grete vois with weping, and to-rente hise clothis. 15 And he entride in to the tabernacle of Judith, and foond not hir, and he skippide out to the puple, 16 and seide, Oon Ebrew womman hath maad confusioun in the hows of kyng Nabugodonosor; for lo! Holofernes liggith in the erthe, and his heed is not in hym. 17 And whanne the prynces of the vertu of Assiriens hadden herd this thing, alle thei to-renten her clothis, and vnsuffrable drede and tremblyng felde doun on hem, and her soulis weren troblid greetli. 18 And `vncomparable cry was maad `bi the myddil of her tentis. CAP 15. 1 And whanne al the oost hadde herd Holofernes biheedid, mynde and councel fledde fro hem, and thei `schakun bi tremblyng and drede aloone token the help of fliyt, 2 so that no man spak with his neiybore; but `whanne the heed was bowid doun, and alle thingis `weren forsakun, thei weren bisy to ascape Ebreis, which thei hadden herd to come armed on hem; and thei fledden bi the weies of feeldis, and bi the pathis of litle hillis. 3 Therfor the sones of Israel siyen Assiriens fleynge, and sueden hem, and camen doun, and sowneden with trumpis, and yelliden aftir hem. 4 And for Assiriens not gaderid togidere yeden heedlyng in to fliyt, forsothe the sones of Israel pursuynge with o cumpeny maden feble alle, whiche thei myyten fynde. 5 And Ozie sente messangeris bi alle the citees and cuntreis of Israel. 6 Therfor ech cuntrei and ech citee sente chosun yonge men armed after hem; and thei pursueden `thilke Assiriens with the scharpnesse of swerd, til thei camen to the laste part of her coostis. 7 Forsothe the residue men, that weren in Bethulia, entriden in to the tentis of Assiriens, and token awey with hem the prey, which Assiriens fleynge hadden left, and thei weren chargid gretli. 8 But thei that weren ouercomerys, turneden ayen to Bethulia, and thei token awei with hem alle thingis which euer weren of tho Assiriens, so that no noumbre was in scheep, and beestis, and in alle mouable thingis of hem, that fro the leeste `til to the mooste alle men weren maad riche of her preies. 9 Forsothe Joachym, the hiyeste bischop, cam fro Jerusalem in to Bethulia with alle the prestis, to se Judith. 10 And whanne sche hadde goon out to hym, alle blessiden hir with o vois, and seiden, Thou art the glorie of Jerusalem, and thou art the gladnesse of Israel, thou art the onour of oure puple, 11 which hast do manli, and thin herte was coumfortid, for thou louedist chastite, and aftir thin hosebonde thou knowist not another; therfor and the hond of the Lord coumfortide thee, and therfor thou schalt be blessid with outen ende. 12 And al the puple seide, `Be it! be it! 13 Forsothe bi thritti daies vnnethis the spuylis of Assiriens weren gaderid of the puple of Israel. 14 Certis thei yauen to Judith alle thingis, that weren preued to be propir, `ether synguler, of Holofernes, in gold, and siluer, and in clothis, and in gemmes, and in alle purtenaunce of houshold; and alle thingis weren youun to hir of the puple. 15 And alle puplis `maden ioye, with wymmen, and vergynes, and yonge men, in organs and harpis. CAP 16. 1 Thanne Judith song `this song to the Lord, and seide, Bigynne ye in tympans; 2 synge ye to the Lord in cymbalis; synge ye swetli a newe salm to hym; fulli make ye ioye, and inwardli clepe ye his name. 3 The Lord al to-brekith batels, the Lord is name to hym; 4 that hath set hise castels in the myddis of his puple, for to deliuere vs fro the hond of alle oure enemyes. 5 Assur cam fro the hillis, fro the north, in the multitude of his strengthe; whose multitude stoppide strondis, and the horsis of hem hiliden valeis. 6 And he seide, that he schulde brenne my coostis, and sle my yonge men bi swerd, to yiue my yonge children in to prei, virgyns in to caitifte. 7 But the Lord Almyyti anoiede hym, and bitook hym in to the hondis of a womman, and schente hym. 8 For the myyti of hem felde not doun of yonge men, nether the sones of giauntis killiden hym, nether hiye giauntis puttiden hem silf to hym; but Judith, the douytir of Merari, ouercam hym bi the fairnesse of hir face. 9 For sche vnclothide hir fro the cloth of widewehod, and clothide hir with the cloth of gladnesse, in the ful ioiyng of the sones of Israel. 10 Sche anoyntide hir face with oynement, and boond togidere the tressis of hir heeris with a coronal, to disseyue hym. 11 `Hir sandalies rauyschiden hise iyen, hir fairnesse made his soule caitif; with a swerd sche kittide of his necke. 12 Men of Persis hadden hidousnesse of hir stidfastnesse, and Medeis of hyr hardynesse. 13 Thanne the castels of Assiriens yelliden, whanne my meke men, wexinge drie for thirst, apperiden. 14 The sones of damesels prickiden hem, and killiden hem as children fleynge; thei perischiden in batel fro the face of my God. 15 `Synge we an ympne to the Lord, synge we a newe ympne to oure God. 16 Lord, Lord God, thou art grete, and ful cleer in thi vertu, and whom no man may ouercome. 17 Ech creature of thin serue thee, for thou seidist, and thingis weren maad; thou sentist thi spirit, and thingis weren maad of nouyt; and noon is that ayenstondith thi comaundement. 18 Hillis schulen be moued fro foundementis with watris; stonys schulen flete a brood as wex bifor thi face. 19 Sotheli thei that dreden thee, schulen be grete anentis thee bi alle thingis. 20 Woo to the folk rysynge on my kyn; for the Lord Almyyti schal take veniaunce in hem, in the dai of doom he schal visite hem. 21 For he schal yyue fier and wormes in the fleischis of hem, that thei be brent, and lyue, and feele til in to with outen ende. 22 And it was doon aftir these thingis, al the puple aftir the victorie cam to Jerusalem to worschipe the Lord; and anoon as thei weren clensid, alle men offriden brent sacrifices, and a vowis, and her biheestis. 23 Certis Judith yaf in to the cursyng of foryetyng alle the armuris of batel of Holofernes, whiche the puple yaf to hir, and the curteyn, which sche hadde take awei. 24 Forsothe al the puple was myrie aftir the face of hooli men; and bi thre monethis the ioye of this victorie was halewid with Judith. 25 Sotheli aftir tho daies ech man yede ayen in to his owne; and Judith was maad greet in Bethulia, and sche was more cleer thanne alle wymmen of the lond of Israel. 26 For chastite was ioyned to hir vertu, so that sche knewe not man alle the daies of hir lijf, sithen Manasses, hir hosebonde, was deed. 27 Sotheli in `feeste daies sche cam forth with greet glorie. 28 Forsothe sche dwellide in the hows of hir hosebonde an hundrid yeer and fyue; and sche lefte hir handmaide fre. And sche was deed, and biried with hir hosebonde in Bethulia; 29 and al the puple biweilide hir seuene daies. 30 Forsothe in al the space of her lijf noon `was disturblide Israel, and many yeeris aftir hir deeth. 31 Sotheli the day of the victorie of this feeste is takun of Ebreis in the noumbre of hooli daies, and it is worschipid of the Jewis fro that tyme til in to present day.
Hester (Esther)
CAP 1. 1 In the daies of kyng Assuerus, that regnede fro Ynde `til to Ethiopie, on an hundrid and seuene and twenti prouynces, whanne he sat in the seete of his rewme, 2 the citee Susa was the bigynnyng of his rewme. 3 Therfor in the thridde yeer of his empire he made a greet feeste to alle hise princes and children, the strongeste men of Persis, and to the noble men of Medeis, and to the prefectis of prouynces, bifor him silf, 4 to schewe the richessis of the glorie of his rewme, and the gretnesse, and boost of his power in myche tyme, that is, an hundrid and `foure scoor daies. 5 And whanne the daies of the feeste weren fillid, he clepide to feeste al the puple that was foundun in Susa, fro the moost `til to the leeste; and he comaundide the feeste to be maad redi bi seuene daies in the porche of the orcherd and wode, that was set with the kyngis ournement and hond. 6 And tentis of `the colour of the eir, and of gold, and of iacynct, susteyned with coordis of bijs, and of purpur, hangiden on ech side, whiche weren set in cerclis of yuer, and weren vndur set with pilers of marble; also seetis at the maner of beddis of gold and of siluer `weren disposid on the pawment arayede with smaragde and dyuerse stoon; which pawment peynture made fair bi wondurful dyuersite. 7 Sotheli thei, that weren clepid to meet, drunkun in goldun cuppis, and metes weren borun in with othere `and othere vessels; also plenteuouse wiyn, and `the best was set, as it was worthi to the greet doyng of the kyng. 8 And `noon was that constreynede `men not willynge to drynke; but so the kyng hadde ordeyned, `makynge souereyns of hise princes `to alle boordis, that ech man schulde take that, that he wolde. 9 Also Vasthi, the queen, made a feeste of wymmen in the paleis, where kyng Assuerus was wont to dwelle. 10 Therfor in the seuenthe dai, whanne the kyng was gladdere, and was hoot of wiyn aftir ful myche drinkyng, he comaundide Nauman, and Baracha, and Arbana, and Gabatha, and Zarath, and Abgatha, and Charchas, seuene oneste and chast seruauntis, `that mynistriden in his siyt, 11 that thei schulden brynge in bifor the kyng the queen Vasti, with a diademe set on hir heed, to schewe hir fairnesse to alle the puplis and prynces; for sche was ful fair. 12 And sche forsook, and dispiside to come at the comaundement of the kyng, which he hadde sent bi the oneste and chast seruauntes. Wherfor the kyng was wrooth, and kyndlid bi fulgreet woodnesse; and he axide the wise men, 13 whiche bi the `kyngis custom weren euere with hym, and he dide alle thingis bi the counsel of hem, kunnynge the lawis and ritis of grettere men; 14 forsothe the firste and the nexte weren Carsena, and Sechaaba, Admatha, and Tharsis, and Mares, and Marsana, and Manucha, seuene duykis of Persis and of Medeis, that sien the face of the kyng, and weren wont to sitte the firste aftir hym; 15 `the kyng axide hem, to what sentence the queen Vasthi schulde be suget, that nolde do the comaundement of kyng Assuerus, which he hadde sent bi the onest and chast seruauntis. 16 And Manucha answeride, in audience of the kyng and of the pryncis, The queen Vasthi hath not oneli dispisid the kyng, but alle the pryncis and puplis, that ben in alle prouynces of kyng Assuerus. 17 For the word of the queen schal go out to alle wymmen, that thei dispise her hosebondis, and seie, Kyng Assuerus comaundide, that the queen Vasthi schulde entre to hym, and sche nolde. 18 And bi this saumple alle the wyues of prynces of Persis and of Medeis schulen dispise the comaundementis of hosebondis; wherfor the indignacioun of the kyng is iust. 19 If it plesith to thee, `a comaundement go out fro thi face, and `be writun bi the lawe of Persis and of Medeis, which it is vnleueful to be passid, that Vasthi entre no more to the kyng, but anothir womman, which is betere than sche, take `the rewme of hir. 20 And be this puplischid in to al the empire of thi prouynces, which is ful large, that alle wyues, both of grettere men and of lesse, yyue onour to her hosebondis. 21 His counsel pleside the kyng and the prynces, and the kyng dide bi the counsel of Manucha; 22 and he sente pistlis bi alle the prouyncis of his rewme, as ech folk myyte here and rede, in dyuerse langagis and lettris, that hosebondis ben prynces and the grettere in her housis; and `he sente, that this be pupplischid bi alle puplis. CAP 2. 1 Therfor whanne these thingis weren doon, aftir that the indignacioun of kyng Assuerus was coold, he bithouyte of Vasthi, and what thingis sche hadde do, ethir what thingis sche suffride. 2 And the children and the mynystris of the kyng seiden to `the kyng, Damyselis, virgyns `and faire, be souyt to the kyng; and `men ben sent, 3 that schulen biholde bi alle prouinces damesels faire and virgyns; and brynge thei hem to the citee Susa, and bitake thei in to the hows of wymmen, vndur the hond of Egei, the onest seruaunt and chast, which is the souereyn and kepere of the kyngis wymmen; and take the damesels ournement of wymmen, and other thingis nedeful to vsis. 4 And which euer damesele among alle plesith the iyen of the kyng, regne sche for Vasti. The word pleside the kyng; and he comaundide to be don so, as thei counceliden. 5 Forsothe a man, a Jew, was in the citee Susa, Mardoche bi name, the sone of Jair, sone of Semei, sone of Cys, of the generacioun of Gemyny; 6 that was translatid fro Jerusalem in that tyme, wherynne Nabugodonosor, kyng of Babiloyne, hadde translatid Jechonye, kyng of Juda; 7 which Mardoche was the nurschere of Edissa, the douyter of his brothir, which douytir was clepid Hester bi anothir name, and sche hadde lost bothe fadir and modir; sche was ful fair, and semeli of face; and whanne hir fadir and modir weren deed, Mardoche `purchaside hir in to a douytir to hymsilf. 8 And whanne the comaundement of the kyng was ofte pupplischid, and bi his comaundement many faire virgyns weren brouyt to Susa, and weren bitakun to Egey, the onest seruaunt and chast, also Hester among othere damesels was bytakun to hym, that sche schulde be kept in the noumbre of wymmen. 9 And sche pleside hym, and foond grace in his siyt, that he hastide the ournement of wymmen, and bitook to hir her partis, and seuene the faireste damesels of the kyngis hows; and he ournede and araiede bothe hir and damesels suynge hir feet. 10 And `sche nolde schewe to hym hir puple and hir cuntrei; for Mardoche hadde comaundid to hir, that in al maner sche schulde be stille of this thing. 11 And he walkide ech dai bifor the porche of the dore, in which the chosun virgyns weren kept, and he dide the cure of the helthe of Hester, and wolde wite, what bifelde to hyr. 12 And whanne the tyme of alle damesels bi ordre was comun, that thei schulden entre to the kyng, whanne alle thingis weren fillid that perteyneden to wymmens atire, the tweluethe monethe was turned; so oneli that thei weren anoyntid with oile of `myrte tre bi sixe monethis, and bi othere sixe monethis `thei vsiden summe pymentis and swete-smellynge oynementis. 13 And thei entriden to the kyng, and what euer thing perteynynge to ournement thei axiden, thei token; and thei weren araied as it pleside hem, and passiden fro the chaumbre of wymmen to the kyngis bed. 14 And sche that hadde entrid in the euentid, yede out in the morwetid; and fro thennus thei weren led forth in to the secounde housis, that weren vndur the hond of Sagazi, onest seruaunt and chast, that was gouernour of the kyngis concubyns; and sche hadde not power to go ayen more to the kyng, no but the kyng wolde, `and had comaundid hir to come bi name. 15 Sotheli whanne the tyme was turned aboute bi ordre, the dai neiyede, wherynne Hester, the douyter of Abiahel, brother of Mardoche, `whom he hadde purchasid in to a douyter to hym silf, ouyte entre to the kyng; and sche axide not wymmenus ournement, but what euer thingis Egei, the onest seruaunt and chast, kepere of virgyns, wolde, he yaf these thingis to hir to ournement; for sche was ful schapli, and of fairnesse that may not liytli be bileuyd, and sche semyde graciouse and amyable to the iyen of alle men. 16 Therfor sche was lad to the bed of kyng Assuerus, in the tenthe monethe, which is clepid Cebeth, in the seuenthe yeer of his rewme. 17 And the kyng feruentli louyde hir more than alle wymmen, and sche hadde grace and mercy bifor hym ouer alle wymmen; and he settide the diademe of rewme `on hir heed, and he made hir to regne in the stide of Vasthi. 18 And he comaundide a ful worschipful feeste to be maad redi to alle hise princes and seruauntis, for the ioynyng togidere and the weddyngis of Hester; and he yaf rest to alle prouynces, and yaf yiftis aftir the worschipful doyng of a prynce. 19 And whanne virgyns weren souyt also the secounde tyme, and weren gaderid togidere, Mardochee dwellide at the yate of the kyng. 20 Hester hadde not yit schewid hir cuntrei and puple, bi comaundement of hym; for whi what euer thing he comaundide, Hester kepte, and sche dide so alle thingis, as sche was wont in that tyme, in which he nurschide hir a litil child. 21 Therfor in that tyme, wherynne Mardochee dwellide at the `yate of the king, Bagathan and Thares, twei seruauntis of the kyng, weren wrothe, `that weren porteris, and saten in the first threisfold of the paleis; and thei wolden rise ayens the kyng, and sle hym. 22 Which thing was not hid fro Mardochee, and anoon he telde to the queen Hester, and sche to the kyng, bi the name of Mardochee, that hadde teld the thing to hir. 23 It was souyt, and it was foundun, and ech of hem was hangid in a iebat; and `it was sent to storyes, and was bitakun to bookis of yeeris, `bifor the kyng. CAP 3. 1 Aftir these thingis kyng Assuerus enhaunside Aaman, the sone of Amadathi, that was of the kynrede of Agag, and settide his trone aboue alle the princes whiche he hadde. 2 And alle the seruauntis of the kyng, that lyuyden in the yatis of the paleis, kneliden, and worschipiden Aaman; for the emperour hadde comaundid so to hem; Mardochee aloone bowide not the knees, nethir worschipide hym. 3 `To whom the children of the kyng seiden, that saten bifore at the yatis of the paleis, Whi kepist `thou not the comaundementis of the kyng, othere wise than othere men? 4 And whanne thei seiden ful ofte these thingis, and he nolde here, thei tolden to Aaman, `and wolden wite, whether he contynuede in sentence; for he hadde seid to hem, that he was a Jew. 5 And whanne Aaman hadde herd this thing, and hadde preued `bi experience, that Mardochee bowide not the kne to hym, nethir worschipide hym, he was ful wrooth, 6 and he ledde for nouyt to sette hise hondis on Mardochee aloone; for he hadde herd, that Mardochee was of the folc of Jewis, and more he wolde leese al the nacioun of Jewis, that weren in the rewme of Assuerus. 7 In the firste monethe, whos nam is Nysan, in the tweluethe yeer of the rewme of Assuerus, lot was sent in to a vessel, which lot is seid in Ebrew phur, `bifor Aaman, in what dai and in what monethe the folk of Jewis ouyte to be slayn; and the tweluethe monethe yede out, which is clepid Adar. 8 And Aaman seide to the king Assuerus, A puple is scaterid bi alle the prouynces of thi rewme, and is departid fro it silf togidere, and vsith newe lawis and cerymonyes, and ferthermore it dispisith also the comaundementis of the kyng; and thou knowest best, that it spedith not to thi rewme, `that it encreesse in malice bi licence. 9 If it plesith thee, `deme thou that it perisch, and Y schal paie ten thousynde of talentis to the keperis of thi tresour. 10 Therfor the kyng took `fro his hond the ryng which he vside, and yaf it to Aaman, the sone of Amadathi, of the kynrede of Agag, to the enemy of Jewis. 11 And the kyng seide to hym, The siluer, which thou bihiytist, be thin; do thou of the puple that, that plesith thee. 12 And the scryuens of the kyng weren clepid in the firste monethe Nysan, in the threttenthe dai of the same monethe; and it was writun, as Aaman hadde comaundid, to alle prynces of the kyng, and to domesmen of prouynces and of dyuerse folkis, that ech folk myyte rede and here, `for dyuersite of langagis, bi the name of kyng Assuerus. And lettris aseelid with 13 the ring of the kyng weren sent bi the corouris of the kyng to alle hise prouynces, that thei schulden sle, and `do awei alle Jewis, fro a child to an eld man, litle children and wymmen, in o dai, that is, in the thrittenthe dai of the tweluethe monethe, which is clepid Adar; and that thei schulden take awei the goodis of Jewis. 14 Forsothe the sentence `in schort of the pistlis was this, that alle prouyncis schulden wite, and make hem redi to the forseid dai. And the coroures, that weren sent, hastiden to fille the comaundement of the kyng; and anoon the comaundement hangide in Susa, `while the kyng and Aaman maden feeste, and `the while that alle Jewis wepten, that weren in the citee. CAP 4. 1 And whanne Mardochee hadde herd these thingis, he to-rente hise clothis, and he was clothid in a sak, and spreynt aische on the heed, and he criede with greet vois in the street of the myddis of the citee, and schewide the bitternesse of his soule, 2 and he yede with this yellyng `til to the yatis of the paleis; for it was not leueful a man clothid with a sak to entre in to the halle of the kyng. 3 Also in alle prouynces, citees, and places, to which the cruel sentence of the king was comun, was greet weilyng, fastyng, yellyng, and wepyng anentis the Jewis, and many Jewis vsiden sak and aische for bed. 4 Sotheli the dameselis and onest seruauntis and chast of Hester entriden, and telden to hir; which thing sche herde, and was astonyed; and sche sente a cloth to Mardochee, that whanne the sak was takun a wei, he schulde clothe hym therynne; which cloth he nolde take. 5 And aftir that Athac, the onest seruaunt and chast, `was clepid, whom the kyng hadde youe a mynystre to hir, sche comaundide, that he schulde go to Mardochee, and lerne of hym, whi he dide this thing. 6 And Athac yede out, and yede to Mardochee stondynge in the street of the citee, bifor the dore of the paleis; 7 which schewide to Athac alle thingis that bifelden, hou Aaman hadde bihiyt to bryng siluer in to tresours of the kyng for the deeth of Jewis. 8 Also he yaf to Athac the copie of the comaundement, that hangide in Susa, to schewe to the queen, and to moneste hir for to entre to the kyng, and to biseche hym for hir puple. 9 And Athac yede ayen, and telde to Hester alle thingis, whiche Mardochee hadde seid. 10 And sche answeryde to hym, and seide, that he schulde seie to Mardochee, Alle the seruauntis of the kyng, 11 and alle prouyncis that ben vndur his lordschip, knowen, that whether a man ether a womman not clepid entrith in to the ynnere halle of the kyng, he schal be slayn anoon with outen ony tariyng, no but in hap the kyng holdith forth the goldun yerde `to hym for `the signe of merci, and he mai lyue so; therfor hou mai Y entre to the kyng, which am not clepid to hym now bi thritti daies? 12 And whanne Mardochee hadde herd `this thing, he sente efte to Hester, 13 and seide, Gesse thou not, that thou schalt delyuer oonli thi lijf, for thou art in the hows of the kyng, bifor alle Jewis; 14 for if thou art stille now, Jewis schulen be delyuered bi another occasioun, and thou and the hows of thi fadir schulen perische; and who knowith, whether herfor thou camist to the rewme, that thou schuldist be maad redi in sich a tyme? 15 And eft Hester sente these wordis to Mardochee, 16 Go thou, and gadere togidere alle Jewis, whiche thou fyndist in Susa, and preie ye for me; ete ye not, nether drynke ye in thre daies and thre nyytis, and Y with myn handmaydis schal fast in lijk maner; and thanne Y not clepid schal entre to the kyng, and Y schal do ayens the lawe, and Y schal bitake me to deth and to perel. 17 Therfor Mardochee yede, and dide alle thingis, whiche Hester hadde comaundid to hym. CAP 5. 1 Forsothe in the thridde dai Hester was clothid in `the kyngis clothis, and stood in the porche of the kyngis hows, that was `the ynnere ayens the kyngis halle; and he sat on his trone, in the consistorie of the paleis, ayens the dore of the hows. 2 And whanne he hadde seyn Hester, the queen, stondynge, sche pleside hise iyen, and he helde forth ayens hir the goldun yerde, which he helde in the hond; and sche neiyide, and kisside the hiynesse of his yerde. 3 And the king seide to hir, Hester, the queen, what `wolt thou? what is thin axyng? Yhe, thouy thou axist the half part of my rewme, it schal be youun to thee. 4 And sche answeride, If it plesith the kyng, Y biseche, that thou come to me to dai, and Aaman with thee, to the feeste, which Y haue maad redi. 5 And anoon the king seide, Clepe ye Aaman soone, that he obeie to the wille of Hester. Therfor the kyng and Aaman camen to the feeste, which the queen hadde maad redi to hem. 6 And the king seide to hir, aftir that he hadde drunk wiyn plenteuousli, What axist thou, that it be youun to thee, and for what thing axist thou? Yhe, thouy thou axist the half part of my rewme, thou schalt gete. 7 To whom Hester answeride, My axyng and preieris ben these. 8 If Y haue founde grace in the siyt of the kyng, and if it plesith the kyng, that he yyue to me that, that Y axe, and that he fille myn axyng, the kyng and Aaman come to the feeste, which Y haue maad redi to hem; and to morewe Y schal opene my wille to the kyng. 9 Therfor Aaman yede out glad and swift `in that dai. And whanne he hadde seyn Mardochee sittynge bifor the yatis of the paleys, and not oneli to haue not rise to hym, but sotheli nether moued fro the place of his sittyng, he was ful wrooth; 10 and `whanne the ire was dissymelid, he turnede ayen in to his hows, and he clepide togidire `to him silf frendis, and Zares, his wijf; 11 and he declaride to hem the greetnesse of his richessis, and the cumpeny of children, and with hou greet glorie the kyng hadde enhaunsid hym aboue alle hise princis and seruauntis. 12 And he seide after these thinges, Also the queen Hester clepide noon other man with the kyng to the feeste, outakun me, anentis `which queen Y schal ete also to morewe with the kyng. 13 And whanne Y haue alle these thingis, Y gesse that Y haue no thing, as long as Y se Mardochee, Jew, sittynge bifor the `kyngis yatis. 14 And Zares, his wijf, and othere frendis answeriden to hym, Comaunde thou an hiy beem to be maad redi, hauynge fifti cubitis of heiythe; and seie thou eerly to the kyng, that Mardochee be hangid theronne; and so thou schalt go glad with the kyng to the feeste. 15 And the counsel plesyde him, and he comaundide an hiy cros to be maad redi. CAP 6. 1 The kyng ledde that nyyt with out sleep, and he comaundide the stories and the bookis of yeeris `of formere tymes to be brouyt to hym. And whanne tho weren red in his presense, 2 me cam to the place, where it was writun, hou Mardochee hadde teld the tresouns of Gabathan and Thares, oneste seruauntis, couetynge to strangle kyng Assuerus. 3 And whanne the kyng hadde herd this, he seide, What onour and meede gat Mardochee for this feithfulnesse? And hise seruauntis and mynystris seiden to hym, Outirli he took no meede. 4 And anoon the kyng seide, Who is in the halle? Sotheli Aaman hadde entrid in to the ynnere halle of the kyngis hows, to make suggestioun to the kyng, that he schulde comaunde Mardochee to be hangid on the iebat, which was maad redi to him. 5 And the children answeriden, Aaman stondith in the halle. 6 And the kyng seide, Entre he. And whanne he was comun yn, the kyng seide to hym, What owith to be don to the man, whom the kyng desirith onoure? Aaman thouyte in his herte, and gesside, that the kyng wolde onoure noon othere man no but hym silf; 7 and he answeride, The man, whom the kyng couetith to onoure, 8 owith to be clothid with the kyngis clothis, and to be set on the hors which is of the kyngis sadel, and to take the kyngis diademe on his heed; 9 and the firste of the princes and stronge men of the kyng holde his hors, and go bi the stretis of the citee, and crie, and seie, Thus he schal be onourid, whom euer the kyng wole onoure. 10 Therfor the kyng seide to hym, Haste thou, and whanne `a stoole and hors is takun, do thou, as thou hast spoke, to Mardochee the Jew, that sittith bifor the yatis of the paleis; be thou war, that thou leeue not out ony thing of these, whiche thou hast spoke. 11 Therfor Aaman took `a stoole and hors, and yede, and criede bifor Mardochee clothid in the strete of the citee, and set on `the hors, He is worthi this onour, whom euer the kyng wole onoure. 12 And Mardochee turnede ayen to the yate of the paleis, and Aaman hastide to go in to his hows, morenynge, and with the heed hilid. 13 And he teld to Zares, his wijf, and to frendis alle thingis that hadden bifelde to hym. To whom the wise men, whiche he hadde in counsel, and his wijf, answeriden, If Mardochee, bifor whom thou hast bigunne to falle, is of the seed of Jewis, thou schalt not mowe ayenstonde hym, but thou schalt falle in his siyt. 14 Yit while thei spaken, the oneste seruauntis and chast of the kyng camen, and compelliden hym to go soone to the feeste, which the queen hadde maad redi. CAP 7. 1 Therfor the kyng and Aaman entriden to the feeste, to drynke with the queen. 2 And the kyng seide to hir, yhe, in the secounde dai, aftir that he was hoot of the wiyn, Hester, what is thin axyng, that it be youun to thee, and what wolt thou be doon? Yhe, thouy thou axist the half part of my rewme, thou schalt gete. 3 To whom sche answeride, A! king, if Y haue founde grace in thin iyen, and if it plesith thee, yyue thou my lijf to me, for which Y preie, and my puple, for which Y biseche. 4 For Y and my puple ben youun, that we be defoulid, and stranglid, and that we perische; `and Y wolde, that we weren seeld in to seruauntis and seruauntessis, `and the yuel `were suffrable, and Y `were stille weilynge; but now oure enemy is, whos cruelte turneth `in to the kyng. 5 And kyng Assuerus answeride, and seide, Who is this, and of what power, that he be hardi to do these thingis? 6 And Hester seide, Oure worste aduersarie and enemy is this Aaman. Which thing he herde, and was astonyde anoon, and `suffride not to bere the semelaunt of the kyng and of the queen. 7 Forsothe the kyng roos wrooth, and fro the place of the feeste he entride in to a gardyn biset with trees. And Aaman roos for to preie Hester, the queen, for his lijf; for he vndurstood yuel maad redi of the kyng to hym. 8 And whanne the kyng turnede ayen fro the gardyn `biset with wode, and hadde entrid in to the place of feeste he foond that Aaman felde doun on the bed, wherynne Hester lai. And the king seide, `Also he wole oppresse the queen, while Y am present, in myn hows. The word was not yit goon out of the kyngis mouth, and anoon thei hiliden his face. 9 And Arbona seide, oon of the onest seruauntis and chast, that stoden in the seruyce of the kyng, Lo! the tre hauynge fifti cubitis of heiythe stondith in the hows of Aaman, which tre he hadde maad redi to Mardochee, that spak for the kyng. To whom the kyng seide, Hange ye Aaman in that tre. 10 Therfor Aaman was hangid in the iebat, which he hadde maad redi to Mardochee, and the ire of the kyng restide. CAP 8. 1 In that dai kyng Assuerus yaf to Hester, the queen, the hows of Aaman, aduersarie of Jewis. And Mardochee entride bifor the face of the kyng; for Hester knoulechide to hym, that he was `hir fadris brother. 2 Therfor the kyng took the ryng, which he hadde comaundid to be resseyued fro Aaman, and yaf to Mardochee. Forsothe Hester ordeynede Mardochee ouer hir hows. 3 And Hester was not appaied with these thingis, and felde doun to the feet of the kyng, and wepte, and spak to hym, and preiede, that he schulde comaunde the malice of Aaman of Agag, and hise worste castis, whiche he hadde thouyte out ayens Jewis, `to be maad voide. 4 And the kyng bi custom helde forth the goldun yerde of the kyng with his hond, bi which the signe of merci was schewid. `Therfor sche roos vp, 5 and stood bifor hym, and seide, If it plesith the kyng, and if Y haue founde grace bifor hise iyen, and if my preier is not seyn `to be contrarie to hym, Y biseche, that the elde lettris of Aaman, traitour and enemy of Jewis, by whiche he hadde comaundid hem to perische in alle the prouynces of the kyng, be amendid bi newe pistlis; 6 for hou schal Y mowe suffre the deth, and the sleyng of my puple? 7 And kyng Assuerus answeride to Hester, the queen, and to Mardochee, Jew, Y grauntide the hows of Aaman to Hester, the queen, and Y comaundide hym to be hangid `on the cros, for he was hardi to sette hond ayens the Jewis. 8 Therfor write ye to Jewis, as it plesith to you, `bi the name of the kyng, and aseele ye the lettris with my ring. For this was the custom, that no man durste ayenseie the pistlis, that weren sente in the kyngis name, and weren aseelid with his ryng. 9 And whanne the dyteris and `writeris of the kyng weren clepid; `sotheli it was the tyme of the thridde monethe, which is clepid Siban, in the thre and twentithe dai of that monethe; pistlis weren writun, as Mardochee wolde, to Jewis, and to princes, and to procuratouris, and to iugis, that weren souereyns of an hundrid and seuene and twenti prouynces, fro Iynde `til to Ethiope, to prouynce and to prouynce, to puple and to puple, bi her langagis and lettris, and to Jewis, that thei myyten rede and here. 10 And tho pistlis, that weren sent `bi the kyngis name, weren aseelid with his ryng, and sent bi messangeris, whiche runnen aboute bi alle prouynces, and camen with newe messagis bifor the elde lettris. 11 To whiche the kyng comaundide, that thei schulden clepe togidere the Jewis bi alle citees, `and comaunde to be gaderid togidere, that thei schulden stonde for her lyues; and schulden sle, and do awei alle her enemyes, with her wyues and children, and alle howsis. 12 And o dai of veniaunce, that is, in the thrittenthe dai of the tweluethe monethe Adar, was ordeined bi alle prouynces. 13 And the schort sentence of the pistle was this, that it were maad knowun in alle londis and puplis, that weren suget to the empire of kyng Assuerus, that the Jewis ben redi to take veniaunce of her enemyes. 14 And the messangeris yeden out, bifor berynge swift messages; and the comaundement of the kyng hangide in Susa. 15 Sotheli Mardochee yede out of the paleis and of the kyngis siyt, and schynede in the kyngis clothis, that is, of iacynct and of colour of the eir, and he bar a goldun coroun in his heed, and was clothid with a mentil of selk and of purpur; and al the citee fulli ioiede, and was glad. 16 Forsothe a newe liyt semede to rise to the Jewis, 17 ioie, onour, and daunsyng, at alle puplis, citees, and alle prouynces, whidur euere the comaundementis of the kyng camen, a wondurful ioie, metis, and feestis, and an hooli dai, in so myche, that many of an other folk and sect weren ioyned to the religioun and cerymonyes of hem; for the greet drede of the name of Jewis `hadde asaylid alle hem. CAP 9. 1 Therfor in the thrittenthe dai of the tweluethe monethe, which we seiden now bifore to be clepid Adar, whanne sleyng was maad redi to alle Jewis, and her enemyes settiden tresoun to blood, ayenward Jewes bigunnen to be the hiyere, and to venge hem of aduersaries. 2 And thei weren gaderid togidere bi alle citees, castels, and places, to stretche forth hond ayens her enemyes and pursueris; and no man was hardi to ayenstonde, for the drede of her gretnesse hadde persid alle puplis. 3 For whi bothe the iugis, duykis, and procuratouris of prouynces, and ech dignyte, that weren souereyns of alle places and werkis, enhaunsiden Jewis, for the drede of Mardochee, 4 whom thei knewen to be prince of the paleis, and to mow do ful myche; and the fame of his name encreeside ech dai, and flei bi the mouthis of alle men. 5 Therfor the Jewis smytiden her enemyes with greet veniaunce, and killiden hem, and yeldiden to tho enemyes that, that thei hadden maad redi to do to `the Jewis, 6 in so myche, that also in Susa thei killiden fyue hundrid men, with out the ten sones of Aaman of Agag, the enemye of Jewis, of whiche these ben the names; 7 Phasandatha, Delphon, and Esphata, 8 and Phorata, and Adalia, and Aridatha, 9 and Ephermesta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaizatha. 10 And whanne the Jewis hadden slayn hem, thei nolden take preies of the catels of hem. 11 And anoon the noumbre of hem, that weren slayn in Susa, was teld to the kyng. 12 Which seide to the queen, Jewis han slayn fyue hundrid men in the citee of Susa, and othere ten sones of Aaman; hou grete sleyng gessist thou, that thei haunten in alle prouynces? what axist thou more? and what wolt thou, that Y comaunde to be doon? 13 To whom sche answeride, If it plesith the kyng, power be youun to the Jewis, that as thei han do to dai in Susa, so do thei also to morewe, and that the ten sones of Aaman be hangid vp in iebatis. 14 And the kyng comaundide, that it schulde be doon so; and anoon the comaundement hangide in Susa, and the ten sones of Aaman weren hangid. 15 Therfor whanne the Jewis weren gaderid togidere, in the fourtenthe dai of the monethe Adar, thre hundrid men weren slayn in Susa, and the Jewis token not awei the catel of tho men. 16 But also bi alle the prouynces, that weren suget to the lordschip of the kyng, Jewis stoden for her lyues, whanne her enemyes and pursueris weren slayn, in so myche, that fyue and seuenti thousynde of slayn men `weren fillid, and no man touchide ony thing of the catelis of hem. 17 Forsothe the thrittenthe dai of the monethe Adar was o dai of sleyng at alle Jewis, and in the fourtenthe dai thei ceessiden to sle; which thei ordeyneden to be solempne, that therynne in ech tyme aftirward thei schulden yyue tent to metis, to ioye, and to feestis. 18 And thei, that hauntiden sleyng in the citee of Susa, `lyueden in sleyng in the thrittenthe and fourtenthe dai of the same monethe. But in the fiftenthe dai thei ceessiden to sle; and therfor thei ordeyneden the same dai solempne of feestis and of gladnesse. 19 Forsothe these Jewis, that dwelliden in borow townes not wallid and vilagis, demeden the fourtenthe dai of the monethe Adar of feestis, and of ioie, so that thei be ioiful therynne, and sende ech to other partis of feestis and of metis. 20 Therfor Mardochee wroot alle these thingis, and sente these thingis comprehendid bi lettris to the Jewis, that dwelliden in alle prouynces of the kyng, as wel to Jewis set nyy as fer, 21 that thei schulden resseyue the fourtenthe and the fiftenthe dai of the monethe Adar `for feestis, and euer whanne the yeer turneth ayen, `thei schulden halowe with solempne onour; 22 for in tho daies the Jewis vengiden hem silf of her enemyes, and morenyng and sorewe weren turned in to gladnesse and ioie; and these daies schulden be daies of feestis, and of gladnesse, and `that thei schulden sende ech to other partis of metis, and `yyue litle yiftis to pore men. 23 Forsothe the Jewis resseyueden in to solempne custom alle thingis, whiche thei bigunnen to do in that tyme, and whiche thingis Mardochee hadde comaundid bi lettris to be doon. 24 Sotheli Aaman, the sone of Amadathi, of the kynrede of Agag, the enemy and aduersarie of Jewis, thouyte yuel ayens hem, to sle hem and to do awei, and he sente phur, which is interpretid in oure langage `in to lot. 25 And afterward Hester entride to the kyng, and bisouyte, that `hise enforsyngis schulden be maad voide bi the lettris of the kyng, and that the yuel, which he hadde thouyt ayenus the Jewis, schulde turne ayen in to his heed. `Forsothe thei hangiden on the cros `bothe hym and hise sones. 26 And fro that tyme these daies weren clepid `Phurym, that is, of lottis, for `phur, that is, lot, was sent in to a vessel; and the Jewis resseyueden on hem silf, and on her seed, and on alle men that wolden be couplid to her religioun, alle thingis that weren doon, and ben conteyned in the volym of the pistle, `that is, of this book, 27 and whiche thingis thei suffriden, and whiche thingis weren chaungid aftirward, that it be not leueful to ony man to passe with out solempnyte these `daies, which the scripture witnessith, and certeyn tymes axen, while the yeeris comen contynuely oon aftir an other. 28 These ben the daies, whiche neuer ony foryetyng schal do awei, and bi alle generaciouns alle prouynces, that ben in al the world, schulen halewe; nether `ony citee is, in which the daies of Phurym, that is, of lottis, schulen not be kept of Jewis, and of the generacioun of hem, which is bounden to these cerymonyes. 29 And Hester, the queen, the douyter of Abiahel, and Mardochee, the Jew, writiden also the secounde pistle, that this solempne dai schulde be halewid aftirward with al bisynesse. 30 And thei senten to tho Jewis, that dwelliden in an hundrid and seuene and twenti prouynces of kyng Assuerus, that thei schulden haue pees, and resseyue the trewthe, 31 and kepe the daies of lottis, and halewe with ioie in her tyme, as Mardochee and Hester hadden ordeyned; and thei resseiueden the fastyngis, and the cries, and the daies of lottis, to be kept of hem silf and of her seed, 32 and `that thei schulden resseyue among hooli bookis alle thingis that ben conteyned in the storie of this book, which is clepid Hester. CAP 10. 1 Forsothe kyng Assuerus made tributarye ech lond, and alle the ilis of the see; 2 whos strengthe and empire and dignyte and hiynesse, by which he enhaunside Mardochee, ben writun in the bookis of Medeis and of Persis; 3 and how Mardochee of the kyn of Jewis was the secounde fro king Assuerus, and was greet anentis Jewis, and acceptable to the puple of hise britheren, and he souyte goodis to his puple, and spak tho thingis, that perteyneden to the pees of his seed. 4 And Mardochee seide, These thingis ben doon of God. 5 Y haue mynde on the dreem, which `Y siy, signifiynge these same thingis, and no thing of tho was voide. 6 A litil welle, that wexide in to a flood, and was turned in to the liyt and sunne, and turnede ayen in to ful many watris, is Hester, whom the kyng took in to wijf, and wolde that sche were his queen. 7 Sotheli twei dragouns, Y am and Aaman; 8 folkis that camen togidere, ben these, that enforsiden to do a wei the name of Jewis. 9 Sotheli my folk Israel it is, that criede to the Lord; and the Lord made saaf his puple, and delyueride vs fro alle yuels, and dide grete signes and wondris among hethene men; 10 and he comaundide twei lottis to be, oon of Goddis puple, and the tother of alle hethene men. 11 And euer either lot cam in to `determynd dai thanne fro that tyme bifor God and alle folkis. 12 And the Lord hadde mynde on his puple, and hadde merci on his eritage. 13 And these daies schulen be kept in the monethe Adar, in the fourtenthe `and the fiftenthe dai of the same monethe, with al bisynesse and ioie of the puple gaderid in to o cumpenye, in to alle generaciouns of the puple of Israel aftirward. CAP 11. 1 In the fourthe yeer, whanne Ptolome and Cleopatra regneden, Dositheus, that seide hym silf to be a prest and of the kyn of Leuy, and Ptolome, his sone, brouyten this pistle of lottis in to Jerusalem, which pistle thei seiden, that Lysimachus, the sone of Ptolome, translatide. 2 In the secounde yeer, whanne Artaxerses the moost regnyde, Mardochee, the sone of Jairy, sone of Semei, sone of Cys, of the lynage of Beniamyn, siy a dreem in the firste dai of the monethe Nysan; 3 and Mardochee was a man Jew, that dwellide in the citee of Susa, a grete man, and amonge the firste men of the kyngis halle. 4 Sotheli he was of that noumbre of prisoneris, which Nabugodonosor, the kyng of Babiloyn, hadde translatid fro Jerusalem with Jeconye, kyng of Judee. 5 And this was `his dreem. Voices and noises and thundris and erthemouyngis and troblyng apperiden on the erthe. 6 And lo! twei grete dragouns, and maad redi ayens hem silf in to batel; 7 at the cry `of which alle naciouns weren stirid togidere, to fiyte ayens the folc of iust men. 8 And that was a day of derknessis, and of perel, of tribulacioun, and of angwisch, and grete drede was on erthe. 9 And the folc of iust men dredynge `her yuels was disturblid, and maad redi to deeth. 10 And thei crieden to God; and whanne thei crieden, a litil welle encreesside in to a ful greet flood, and turnede ayen in to ful many watris. 11 The liyt and the sunne roos; and meke men weren enhaunsid, and deuouriden noble men. 12 And whanne Mardochee hadde seyn this thing, and hadde rise fro the bed, he thouyte, what God wolde do, and he hadde fast set in soule, and couetide to wite, what the dreem signyfiede. CAP 12. 1 Forsothe Mardochee dwellide that tyme in the halle of the kyng, with Bagatha and Thara, oneste seruauntis of the kyng, that weren porteris of the paleis. 2 And whanne he hadde vndurstonde the thouytis of hem, and hadde bifor seyn ful diligentli the bisynessis, he lurnyde that thei enforsiden to set hond on kyng Artaxerses, and he telde of that thing to the kyng. 3 And whanne enqueryng was had of euer eithir, the kyng comaundide hem, `that knoulechiden, to be led to deth. 4 Forsothe the kyng wroot in bookis that, that was doon, but also Mardochee bitook the mynde of the thing to lettris. 5 And the kyng comaundide hym, that he schulde dwelle in the halle of the paleis, and yaf to hym yiftis for the tellynge. 6 Forsothe Aaman, the sone of Amadathi, a bugei, was moost glorius bifor the kyng, and he wolde anoye Mardochee, and his puple, for the `tweyne oneste seruauntis of the king `that weren slayn. CAP 13. 1 The gretteste kyng Artaxerses, fro Iynde `til to Ethiope, seith helthe to the princes and duykys of an hundrid and seuene and twenti prouynces, whiche princes and duykis ben suget to his empire. 2 Whanne Y was lord of ful many folkis, and Y hadde maad suget al the world to my lordschip, Y wolde not mysuse the greetnesse of power, but gouerne sugetis bi merci and softnesse, that thei, ledynge lijf in silence with outen ony drede, schulden vse pees couetid of alle deedli men. 3 Sotheli whanne Y axide of my counselours, hou this myyte be fillid, oon, Aaman bi name, that passide othere men in wisdom and `feithfulnesse, and was the secounde aftir the kyng, 4 schewide to me, that a puple was scaterid in al the roundnesse of londis, which puple vside newe lawis, and dide ayens the custom of alle folkis, and dispiside the comaundementis of kyngis, and defoulide bi his discencioun the acordyng of alle naciouns. 5 And whanne we hadden lerned this thing, and sien, that o folk rebel ayens al the kynde of men vside weiward lawis, and was contrarie to oure comaundementis, and disturblide the pees and acording of prouynces suget to vs, 6 `we comaundiden, that whiche euere Aaman `schewide, which is souereyn of alle prouynces, and is the secounde fro the kyng, and whom we onouren in `the place of fadir, thei with her wiues and children be doon awei of her enemyes, and noon haue merci on hem, in the fourtenthe dai of the twelfithe monethe Adar, of present yeer; 7 that cursid men go doun to hellis in o dai, and yelde pees to oure empire, which thei hadden troblid. 8 Forsothe Mardochee bisouyte the Lord, and was myndeful of alle `hise werkys, and seide, 9 Lord God, kyng almyyti, alle thingis ben set in thi lordschip, `ethir power, and `noon is, that may ayenstonde thi wille; if thou demest for to saue Israel, we schulen be delyuered anoon. 10 Thou madist heuene and erthe, and what euer thing is conteyned in the cumpas of heuene. 11 Thou art Lord of alle thingis, and `noon is that ayenstondith thi maieste. 12 Thou knowist alle thingis, and woost, that not for pride and dispit and ony coueytise of glorie Y dide this thing, that Y worschipide not Aaman moost proud; 13 for Y was redi `wilfuli to kisse, yhe, the steppis of hise feet for the helthe of Israel, but Y dredde, 14 lest Y schulde bere ouere to a man the onour of my God, and lest Y schulde worschipe ony man outakun my God. 15 And now, Lord kyng, God of Abraham, haue thou merci on thi puple, for oure enemyes wolen leese vs, and do awei thin eritage; 16 dispise not thi part, which thou ayenbouytist fro Egipt. 17 Here thou my preier, and be thou merciful to the lot, and the part of thin eritage; and turne thou oure morenyng in to ioie, that we lyuynge herie thi name, Lord; and close thou not the mouthis of men heriynge thee. 18 And al Israel with lijk mynde and bisechyng criede to the Lord, for certeyn deeth neiyede to hem. CAP 14. 1 Also the queen Hester fledde to the Lord, and dredde the perel, that neiyede. 2 And whanne sche hadde put awei the kyngis clothis, sche took clothis couenable to wepyngis and morenyng; and for dyuerse oynementis sche `fillide the heed with aische and dust, and `made meke hir bodi with fastyngys; and with tobreidyng awei of heeris, sche fillide alle places, in which sche was wont to be glad; 3 and bisouyte the Lord God of Israel, and seide, My Lord, which aloone art oure kyng, helpe me a womman left aloone, and of whom noon othere helpere is outakun thee; 4 my perel is in my hondis. 5 Y haue herd of my fadir, that thou, Lord, tokist awei Israel fro alle folkis, and oure fadris fro alle her grettere men bifore, that thou schuldist welde euerlastynge eritage; and thou hast do to hem, as thou hast spoke. 6 We synneden in thi siyt, and therfor thou hast bitake vs in to the hondis of oure enemyes; 7 for we worschipiden the goddis of hem. 8 Lord, thou art iust; and now it suffisith not to hem, that thei oppressen vs with hardeste seruage, but thei aretten the strengthe of her hondis to the power of idols, 9 and wolen chaunge thi biheestis, and do awei thin eritage, and close the mouthis of men heriynge thee, and quenche the glorie of thi temple and auter, 10 that thei opene the mouthis of hethene men, and preise the strengthe of ydols, and preche a fleischli kyng with outen ende. 11 Lord, yyue thou not thi kyngis yerde to hem, that ben noyt, lest thei leiyen at oure fallyng; but turne thou the councel of hem on hem, and distrie thou hym, that bigan to be cruel ayens vs. 12 Lord, haue thou mynde, and schewe thee to vs in the tyme of tribulacioun; and, Lord, kyng of goddis and of al power, yyue thou trist to me; 13 yyue thou a word wel dressid in my mouth in the siyt of the lioun, and turne ouer his herte in to the hatrede of oure enemy, that bothe he perische, and othere men that consenten to hym. 14 But delyuere vs in thin hond, and helpe me, hauynge noon othere help no but thee, Lord, that hast the kunnyng of alle thingis; 15 and knowist that Y hate the glorie of wickid men, and that Y wlate the bed of vncircumcidid men, and of ech alien. 16 Thou knowist my freelte and nede, that Y holde abhomynable the signe of my pride and glorie, which is on myn heed in the daies of my schewyng, and that Y wlate it `as the cloth of a womman hauynge vncleene blood, and Y bere not in the daies of my stillenesse, 17 and that Y eet not in the boord of Aaman, nether the feeste of the kyng pleside me, and Y drank not the wiyn of moiste sacrifices, 18 and that thin handmayde `was neuere glad, sithen Y was translatid hidur til in to present dai, no but in thee, Lord God of Abraham. 19 `God stronge aboue alle, here thou the vois of hem, that han noon othere hope, and delyuere thou vs fro the hond of wickid men, and delyuere thou me fro my drede. CAP 15. 1 And `he sente to hir, no doute that ne Mardochee sente to Hester, that sche schulde entre to the kyng, and preie for hir puple, and for hir cuntrei. 2 He seide, Be thou myndeful of the daies of thi mekenesse, hou thou were nurschid in myn hond; for Aaman, ordeyned the secounde fro the kyng, spak ayens vs in to deth; 3 and thou inwardli clepe the Lord, and speke to the kyng for vs, and delyuere vs fro deeth. 4 Forsothe in the thridde dai sche `puttide of the clothis of hir ournyng, and was cumpassid with hir glorie. 5 And whanne sche `schinede in the kyngis clothing, and hadde inwardli clepid the Gouernour of alle thingis and the sauyour God, sche took twei seruauntis, 6 and sotheli sche leenyde on oon, as not susteynynge to bere hir body, for delices and ful greet tendirnesse; 7 but the tother `of the seruauntessis suede the ladi, and bar vp the clothis fletinge doun `in to the erthe. 8 `Sotheli sche was bisched with `colour of roosis `in the cheer, and with pleasaunt and schynynge iyen sche hilide the soreuful soule, and drawun togidere with ful myche drede. 9 Therfor sche entride thorouy alle the doris bi ordre, and stood ayens the kyng, where he sat on the seete of his rewme, and was clothid in the kyngis clothis, and schynyde in gold and preciouse stoonys, and was dredeful in siyt. 10 And whanne he hadde reisid the face, and hadde schewid the woodnesse of herte with brennynge iyen, the queen felde doun; and whanne the colour was chaungid in to palenesse, sche restide the heed slidun on the handmaide. 11 And God turnede the spirit of the kyng in to myldenesse, and he hastide, and dredde, `and skippyde out of the seete; and he `susteynede hir with hise armes, til sche cam ayen to hir self; and he spak faire bi these wordis, 12 Hester, what hast thou? Y am thi brother; nyle thou drede, thou schalt not die; 13 for this lawe is not maad for thee, but for alle men. 14 Therfor neiye thou, and touche the ceptre, `that is, the kyngis yerde. 15 And whanne sche was stille, he took the goldun yerde, and `puttide on hir necke; and he kisside hir, and seide, Why spekist thou not to me? 16 And sche answeride, Lord, Y siy thee as an aungel of God, and myn herte was troblid for the drede of thi glorye; 17 for, lord, thou art ful wondurful, and thi face is ful of graces. 18 And whanne sche spak, eft sche felde doun, and was almest deed. 19 Sotheli the kyng was troblid, and alle hise mynystris coumfortiden hir. CAP 16. 1 The grete kyng Artaxerses, fro Yinde `til to Ethiopie, seith helthe to the duykis and pryncis of an hundrid and seuene and twenti prouynces, that obeien to oure comaundement. 2 Many men mysusen in to pride the goodnesse and onour of princes, which is youun to hem; 3 and not oneli thei enforsen to oppresse sugetis to kyngis, but thei beren not glorie youun to hem, and maken redy tresouns ayens hem, that yauen the glorie. 4 And thei ben not apaied to do not thankyngis for benefices, and to defoule in hem silf the lawis of curtesie; but also thei demen, that thei moun fle the sentence of God seynge alle thingis. 5 And thei breken out in to so mych woodnesse, that thei enforsen with the roopis of leesyngis to distrie hem, that kepen diligentli offices bitakun to hem, and doen so alle thingis, that thei ben worthi the preisyng of alle men; 6 while bi sutil fraude `false men disseyuen the symple eeris of kyngis, `and gessynge othere men bi her owne kynde. 7 Which thing is preuyd bothe bi elde stories, and bi these thingis that ben doen ech dai; hou the studies of kyngis ben maad schrewid bi yuele suggestiouns of summen. 8 Wherfor it is to purueye for the pees of alle prouynces. 9 And thouy we comaunden dyuerse thingis, ye owen not to gesse, that it cometh of the vnstablenesse of oure soule; but that we yyuen sentence for the maner and nede of tymes, as the profit of the comyn thing axith. 10 And that ye vndurstonde opynliere that, that we seyen; Aaman, the sone of Amadathi, a man of Macedoyne bi soule and folk, and an alien fro the blood of Persis, and defoulynge oure pitee with his cruelte, was a pilgrym, ethir a straunger, and was resseyued of vs; 11 and he feelide in hym silf so grete curtesie of vs, that he was clepid oure fadir, and was worschipid of alle men the secounde aftir the kyng; 12 which Aaman was reisid in to so greet bolnyng of pride, that he enforside to pryue us of the rewme and spirit. 13 For bi summe newe and vnherd castis he axide in to deeth Mardochee, bi whos feith and benefices we liuen, and the felowe of oure rewme Hester, with al hir folk; 14 and he thouyte these thingis, that whanne thei weren slayn, he schulde sette tresoun to `oure aloonenesse, and that he schulde translate the rewme of Persis in to Macedoynes. 15 Forsothe we founden not the Jewis in ony gilt outirli, that weren ordeyned to deth by the worste of deedli men; but ayenward that thei vsen iust lawis, 16 and ben the sones of the hiyeste and moste God, and `euere lyuynge, bi whos benefice the rewme was youun bothe to oure fadris and to vs, and is kept `til to dai. 17 Wherfor wyte ye, that tho lettris ben voide, whiche thilke Aaman sente vndur oure name. 18 For which greet trespas bothe he that ymagynede, and al his kynrede, hangith in iebatis bifor the yatis of this citee, `that is, Susa; for not we, but God yeldide to hym that, that he desseruyde. 19 Forsothe this comaundement, which we senden now, be set forth in alle citees, that it be leueful to Jewis to vse her lawis. 20 `Whyche Jewis ye owen helpe, that thei moun sle hem, that maden hem silf redi to the deeth of Jewis, in the thrittenthe dai of the tweluethe monethe, which is clepyd Adar; 21 for Almyyti God turneth this dai of weilyng and morenyng in to ioye to hem. 22 Wherfor and ye han this dai among othere feeste daies, and halowe it with al gladnesse; that it be knowun aftirward, 23 that alle men, that obeien feithfuli to Persis, resseyuen worthi meed for feith; sotheli that thei, that setten tresoun to the rewme of hem, perischen for the felony. 24 Forsothe ech prouynce and citee, that wole not be parcenere of this solempnytee, perische bi swerd and fier; and be it `doon awey so, that not oneli it be with out weie to men but also to beestis with outen ende, for ensaumple of dispisyng and vnobedience. Job CAP. I. 1 `A man, Joob bi name, was in the lond of Hus; and thilke man was symple, and riytful, and dredynge God, and goynge awey fro yuel. 2 And seuene sones and thre douytris weren borun to hym; 3 and his possessioun was seuene thousynde of scheep, and thre thousynde of camels, and fyue hundrid yockis of oxis, and fyue hundrid of femal assis, and ful myche meynee; and `thilke man was grete among alle men of the eest. 4 And hise sones yeden, and maden feestis bi housis, ech man in his day; and thei senten, and clepiden her thre sistris, `that thei schulden ete, and drynke wiyn with hem. 5 And whanne the daies of feeste hadden passid in to the world, Joob sente to hem, and halewide hem, and he roos eerli, and offride brent sacrifices `bi alle. For he seide, Lest perauenture my sones do synne, and curse God in her hertis. Joob dide so in alle daies. 6 Forsothe in sum day, whanne the sones of God `weren comun to be present bifor the Lord, also Sathan cam among hem. 7 To whom the Lord seide, Fro whennus comest thou? Which answeride, and seide, Y haue cumpassid the erthe, and Y haue walkid thorouy it. 8 And the Lord seide to hym, Whether thou hast biholde my seruaunt Joob, that noon in erthe is lyik hym; he is a symple man, and riytful, and dredynge God, and goynge awei fro yuel? 9 To whom Sathan answeride, Whether Joob dredith God veynli? 10 Whethir thou hast not cumpassid hym, and his hows, and al his catel bi cumpas? Thou hast blessid the werkis of hise hondis, and hise possessioun encreesside in erthe. 11 But stretche forth thin hond a litil, and touche thou alle thingis whiche he hath in possessioun; if he cursith not thee `in the face, `bileue not to me. 12 Therfor the Lord seide to Sathan, Lo! alle thingis, whiche he hath, ben in thin hond; oneli stretche thou not forth thin hond in to hym. And Sathan yede out fro the face of the Lord. 13 Sotheli whanne in sum dai `hise sones and douytris eeten, and drunken wiyn in the hows of her firste gendrid brothir, 14 a messanger cam to Job, `whiche messanger seide, Oxis eriden, and femal assis `weren lesewid bisidis tho; 15 and Sabeis felden yn, and token awey alle thingis, and `smytiden the children with swerd; and Y aloone ascapide for to telle to thee. 16 And whanne he spak yit, anothir cam, and seide, Fier of God cam doun fro heuene, and wastide scheep, and `children touchid; and Y aloone ascapide for to telle `to thee. 17 But yit the while he spak, also anothir cam, and seide, Caldeis maden thre cumpenyes, and assailiden the camels, and token tho awei, and thei smytiden `also the children with swerd; and Y aloone ascapide to telle to thee. 18 And yit he spak, and, lo! anothir entride, and seide, While thi sones and douytris eeten, and drunken wiyn in the hows of her firste gendrid brothir, 19 a greet wynde felde yn sudenli fro the coost of desert, and schook foure corneris of the hows, `which felde doun, and oppresside thi children, and thei ben deed; and Y aloone fledde to telle to thee. 20 Thanne Joob roos, and to-rente hise clothis, and `with pollid heed he felde doun on the erthe, and worschipide God, 21 and seide, Y yede nakid out of the wombe of my modir, Y schal turne ayen nakid thidur; the Lord yaf, the Lord took awei; as it pleside the Lord, so `it is doon; the name of the Lord be blessid. 22 In alle these thingis Joob synnede not in hise lippis, nether spak ony fonned thing ayens God. CAP 2. 1 Forsothe it was doon, whanne in sum dai the sones of God `weren comun, and stoden bifor the Lord, and Sathan `was comun among hem, and stood in his siyt, 2 that the Lord seide to Sathan, Fro whennus comest thou? Which answeride, and seide, Y haue cumpassid the erthe, `and Y haue go thury it. 3 And the Lord seide to Sathan, Whethir thou hast biholde my seruaunt Joob, that noon in erthe is lijk hym; he is a symple man, and riytful, and dredynge God, and goynge awei fro yuel, and yit holdynge innocence? `But thou hast moued me ayens him, that `Y schulde turmente hym in veyn. 4 To whom Sathan answeride, and seide, `A man schal yyue skyn for skyn, and alle thingis that he hath for his lijf; 5 `ellis sende thin hond, and touche his boon and fleisch, and thanne thou schalt se, that he schal curse thee in the face. 6 Therfor the Lord seide to Sathan, Lo! he is in `thin hond; netheles kepe thou his lijf. 7 Therfor Sathan yede out fro the face of the Lord, and smoot Joob with `a ful wickid botche fro the sole of the foot `til to his top; 8 which Joob schauyde the quytere with a schelle, `and sat in the dunghil. 9 Forsothe his wijf seide to hym, Dwellist thou yit in thi symplenesse? Curse thou God, and die. 10 And Joob seide, Thou hast spoke as oon of the fonned wymmen; if we han take goodis of the hond of the Lord, whi forsothe suffren we not yuels? In alle these thingis Joob synnede not in hise lippis. 11 Therfor thre frendis of Joob herden al the yuel, that hadde bifelde to hym, and camen ech man fro his place, Eliphath Temanytes, and Baldach Suythes, and Sophar Naamathites; for thei `hadden seide togidere to hem silf, that thei wolden come togidere, and visite hym, and coumforte. 12 And whanne thei hadden reisid afer `her iyen, thei knewen not hym; and thei crieden, and wepten, and to-renten her clothis, and spreynten dust on her heed `in to heuene. 13 And thei saten with hym in the erthe seuene daies and seuene nyytis, and no man spak a word to hym; for thei sien, that his sorewe was greet. CAP 3. 1 Aftir these thingis Joob openyde his mouth, 2 and curside his dai, and seide, Perische the dai in which Y was borun, 3 and the nyyt in which it was seid, The man is conceyued. 4 Thilke dai be turnede in to derknessis; God seke not it aboue, and be it not in mynde, nethir be it liytned with liyt. 5 Derknessis make it derk, and the schadewe of deeth and myist occupie it; and be it wlappid with bittirnesse. 6 Derk whirlwynde holde that niyt; be it not rikynyd among the daies of the yeer, nethir be it noumbrid among the monethes. 7 Thilke nyyt be soleyn, and not worthi of preisyng. 8 Curse thei it, that cursen the dai, that ben redi to reise Leuyathan. 9 Sterris be maad derk with the derknesse therof; abide it liyt, and se it not, nethir the bigynnyng of the morwetid risyng vp. 10 For it closide not the doris of the wombe, that bar me, nethir took awei yuels fro min iyen. 11 Whi was not Y deed in the wombe? whi yede Y out of the wombe, and perischide not anoon? 12 Whi was Y takun on knees? whi was Y suclid with teetis? 13 For now Y slepynge schulde be stille, and schulde reste in my sleep, 14 with kyngis, and consuls of erthe, that bilden to hem soleyn places; 15 ethir with prynces that han gold in possessioun, and fillen her housis with siluer; 16 ethir as a `thing hid not borun Y schulde not stonde, ethir whiche conseyued sien not liyt. 17 There wickid men ceessiden of noise, and there men maad wery of strengthe restiden. 18 And sum tyme boundun togidere with out disese thei herden not the voys of the wrongful axere. 19 A litil man and greet man be there, and a seruaunt free fro his lord. 20 Whi is liyt youun to the wretche, and lijf to hem that ben in bitternesse of soule? 21 Whiche abiden deeth, and it cometh not; 22 as men diggynge out tresour and ioien greetly, whanne thei han founde a sepulcre? 23 Whi is liyt youun to a man, whos weie is hid, and God hath cumpassid hym with derknessis? 24 Bifore that Y ete, Y siyhe; and as of watir flowynge, so is my roryng. 25 For the drede, which Y dredde, cam to me; and that, that Y schamede, bifelde. 26 Whether Y dissymilide not? whether Y was not stille? whether Y restide not? and indignacioun cometh on me. CAP 4. 1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide, 2 If we bigynnen to speke to thee, in hap thou schalt take it heuyli; but who may holde a word conseyued? 3 Lo! thou hast tauyt ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt. 4 Thi wordis confermyden men doutynge, and thou coumfortidist knees tremblynge. 5 But now a wounde is comun on thee, and thou hast failid; it touchide thee, and thou art disturblid. 6 Where is thi drede, thi strengthe, and thi pacience, and the perfeccioun of thi weies? 7 Y biseche thee, haue thou mynde, what innocent man perischide euere, ethir whanne riytful men weren doon awei? 8 Certis rathir Y siy hem, that worchen wickidnesse, and sowen sorewis, 9 and repen tho, to haue perischid bi God blowynge, and to be wastid bi the spirit of his ire. 10 The roryng of a lioun, and the vois of a lionesse, and the teeth of `whelpis of liouns ben al to-brokun. 11 Tigris perischide, for sche hadde not prey; and the whelpis of a lioun ben distried. 12 Certis an hid word was seid to me, and myn eere took as theueli the veynes of priuy noise therof. 13 In the hidousnesse of `nyytis siyt, whanne heuy sleep is wont to occupie men, 14 drede and tremblyng helde me; and alle my boonys weren aferd. 15 And whanne the spirit `yede in my presence, the heiris of `my fleisch hadden hidousnesse. 16 Oon stood, whos chere Y knewe not, an ymage bifor myn iyen; and Y herde a vois as of softe wynd. 17 Whether a man schal be maad iust in comparisoun of God? ethir whethir a man schal be clennere than his Makere? 18 Lo! thei that seruen hym ben not stidefast; and he findith schrewidnesse in hise aungels. 19 Hou myche more thei that dwellen in housis of cley, that han an ertheli foundement, schulen be wastyd as of a mouyte. 20 Fro morewtid til to euentid thei schulen be kit doun; and for no man vndurstondith, thei schulen perische with outen ende. 21 Sotheli thei, that ben residue, schulen be takun awei; thei schulen die, and not in wisdom. CAP 5. 1 Therfor clepe thou, if `ony is that schal answere thee, and turne thou to summe of seyntis. 2 Wrathfulnesse sleeth `a fonned man, and enuye sleeth a litil child. 3 Y siy a fool with stidefast rote, and Y curside his feirnesse anoon. 4 Hise sones schulen be maad fer fro helthe, and thei schulen be defoulid in the yate, and `noon schal be that schal delyuere hem. 5 Whos ripe corn an hungri man schal ete, and an armed man schal rauysche hym, and thei, that thirsten, schulen drynke hise richessis. 6 No thing is doon in erthe with out cause, and sorewe schal not go out of the erthe. 7 A man is borun to labour, and a brid to fliyt. 8 Wherfor Y schal biseche the Lord, and Y schal sette my speche to my God. 9 That makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis with out noumbre. 10 Which yyueth reyn on the face of erthe, and moistith alle thingis with watris. 11 Which settith meke men an hiy, and reisith with helthe hem that morenen. 12 Which distrieth the thouytis of yuel willid men, that her hondis moun not fille tho thingis that thei bigunnen. 13 Which takith cautelouse men in the felnesse `of hem, and distrieth the counsel of schrewis. 14 Bi dai thei schulen renne in to derknessis, and as in nyyt so thei schulen grope in myddai. 15 Certis God schal make saaf a nedi man fro the swerd of her mouth, and a pore man fro the hond of the violent, `ethir rauynour. 16 And hope schal be to a nedi man, but wickidnesse schal drawe togidere his mouth. 17 Blessid is the man, which is chastisid of the Lord; therfor repreue thou not the blamyng of the Lord. 18 For he woundith, and doith medicyn; he smytith, and hise hondis schulen make hool. 19 In sixe tribulaciouns he schal delyuere thee, and in the seuenthe tribulacioun yuel schal not touche thee. 20 In hungur he schal delyuere thee fro deeth, and in batel fro the power of swerd. 21 Thou schalt be hid fro the scourge of tunge, and thou schalt not drede myseiste, `ethir wretchidnesse, whanne it cometh. 22 In distriyng maad of enemyes and in hungur thou schalt leiye, and thou schalt not drede the beestis of erthe. 23 But thi couenaunt schal be with the stonys of erthe, and beestis of erthe schulen be pesible to thee. 24 And thou schalt wite, that thi tabernacle hath pees, and thou visitynge thi fairnesse schalt not do synne. 25 And thou schalt wite also, that thi seed schal be many fold, and thi generacioun schal be as an erbe of erthe. 26 In abundaunce thou schalt go in to the sepulcre, as an heep of wheete is borun in his tyme. 27 Lo! this is so, as we han souyt; which thing herd, trete thou in minde. CAP 6. 1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, 2 Y wolde, that my synnes, bi whiche Y `desseruede ire, and the wretchidnesse which Y suffre, weren peisid in a balaunce. 3 As the grauel of the see, this wretchidnesse schulde appere greuousere; wherfor and my wordis ben ful of sorewe. 4 For the arowis of the Lord ben in me, the indignacioun of whiche drynkith vp my spirit; and the dredis of the Lord fiyten ayens me. 5 Whether a feeld asse schal rore, whanne he hath gras? Ethir whether an oxe schal lowe, whanne he stondith byfor a `ful cratche? 6 Ether whethir a thing vnsauery may be etun, which is not maad sauery bi salt? Ether whether ony man may taaste a thing, which tastid bryngith deeth? For whi to an hungri soule, yhe, bittir thingis semen to be swete; tho thingis whiche my soule nolde touche bifore, ben now my meetis for angwisch. 8 Who yyueth, that myn axyng come; and that God yyue to me that, that Y abide? 9 And he that bigan, al to-breke me; releesse he his hond, and kitte me doun? 10 And `this be coumfort to me, that he turmente me with sorewe, and spare not, and that Y ayenseie not the wordis of the hooli. 11 For whi, what is my strengthe, that Y suffre? ethir which is myn ende, that Y do pacientli? 12 Nethir my strengthe is the strengthe of stoonus, nether my fleisch is of bras. 13 Lo! noon help is to me in me; also my meyneal frendis `yeden awey fro me. 14 He that takith awei merci fro his frend, forsakith the drede of the Lord. 15 My britheren passiden me, as a stronde doith, that passith ruschyngli in grete valeis. 16 Snow schal come on hem, that dreden frost. 17 In the tyme wherynne thei ben scaterid, thei schulen perische; and as thei ben hoote, thei schulen be vnknyt fro her place. 18 The pathis of her steppis ben wlappid; thei schulen go in veyn, and schulen perische. 19 Biholde ye the pathis of Theman, and the weies of Saba; and abide ye a litil. 20 Thei ben schent, for Y hopide; and thei camen `til to me, and thei ben hilid with schame. 21 Now ye ben comun, and now ye seen my wounde, and dreden. 22 Whether Y seide, Brynge ye to me, and yiue ye of youre catel to me? ethir, 23 Delyuere ye me fro the hond of enemy, and rauysche ye me fro the hond of stronge men? 24 Teche ye me, and Y schal be stille; and if in hap Y vnknew ony thing, teche ye me. 25 Whi han ye depraued the wordis of trewthe? sithen noon is of you, that may repreue me. 26 Ye maken redi spechis oneli for to blame, and ye bryngen forth wordis in to wynde. 27 Ye fallen in on a fadirles child, and enforsen to peruerte youre frend. 28 Netheles fille ye that, that ye han bigunne; yyue ye the eere, and se ye, whether Y lie. 29 Y biseche, answere ye with out strijf, and speke ye, and deme ye that, that is iust. 30 And ye schulen not fynde wickidnesse in my tunge, nethir foli schal sowne in my chekis. CAP 7. 1 Knyythod is lijf of man on erthe, and his daies ben as the daies of an hired man. 2 As an hert desireth schadowe, and as an hirede man abideth the ende of his werk; 3 so and Y hadde voide monethis, and Y noumbrede trauailous niytes to me. 4 If 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. 5 Mi fleisch is clothid with rot, and filthis of dust; my skyn driede vp, and is drawun togidere. 6 My daies passiden swiftliere thanne a web is kit doun `of a webstere; and tho daies ben wastid with outen ony hope. 7 God, haue thou mynde, for my lijf is wynde, and myn iye schal not turne ayen, that it se goodis. 8 Nethir the siyt of man schal biholde me; but thin iyen ben in me, and Y schal not `be in deedli lijf. 9 As a cloude is wastid, and passith, so he that goith doun to helle, schal not stie; 10 nether schal turne ayen more in to his hows, and his place schal no more knowe hym. 11 Wherfor 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. 12 Whether Y am the see, ethir a whal, for thou hast cumpassid me with prisoun? 13 If Y seie, My bed schal coumfort me, and Y schal be releeuyd, spekynge with me in my bed; 14 thou schalt make me aferd bi dremys, and thou schalt schake me with `orrour, ethir hidousnesse, `bi siytis. 15 Wherfor 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. 17 What is a man, for thou `magnifiest hym? ether what settist thou thin herte toward hym? 18 Thou visitist hym eerly, and sudeynli thou preuest hym. 19 Hou long sparist thou not me, nether suffrist me, that Y swolowe my spotele? 20 Y 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? 21 Whi 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. CAP 8. 1 Sotheli Baldath Suytes answeride, and seide, 2 Hou longe schalt thou speke siche thingis? The spirit of the word of thi mouth is manyfold. 3 Whether God supplauntith, `ethir disseyueth, doom, and whether Almyyti God distrieth that, that is iust? 4 Yhe, thouy thi sones synneden ayens hym, and he lefte hem in the hond of her wickidnesse; 5 netheles, if thou risist eerli to God, and bisechist `Almyyti God, if thou goist clene and riytful, 6 anoon he schal wake fulli to thee, and schal make pesible the dwellyng place of thi ryytfulnesse; 7 in so miche that thi formere thingis weren litil, and that thi laste thingis be multiplied greetli. 8 For whi, axe thou the formere generacioun, and seke thou diligentli the mynde of fadris. For we ben men of yistirdai, and `kunnen not; for oure daies ben as schadewe on the erthe. 10 And thei schulen teche thee, thei schulen speke to thee, and of her herte thei schulen bring forth spechis. 11 Whether a rusche may lyue with out moysture? ethir a spier `may wexe with out watir? 12 Whanne it is yit in the flour, nethir is takun with hond, it wexeth drie bifor alle erbis. 13 So the weies of alle men, that foryeten God; and the hope of an ypocrite schal perische. 14 His cowardise schal not plese hym, and his trist schal be as a web of yreyns. 15 He schal leene, `ether reste, on his hows, and it schal not stonde; he schal vndursette it, and it schal not rise togidere. 16 The rusche semeth moist, bifor that the sunne come; and in the risyng of the sunne the seed therof schal go out. 17 Rootis therof schulen be maad thicke on an heep of stoonys, and it schal dwelle among stoonys. 18 If a man drawith it out of `his place, his place schal denye it, and schal seie, Y knowe thee not. 19 For this is the gladnesse of his weie, that eft othere ruschis springe out of the erthe. 20 Forsothe God schal not caste a wei a symple man, nethir schal dresse hond to wickid men; 21 til thi mouth be fillid with leiytir, and thi lippis with hertli song. 22 Thei that haten thee schulen be clothid with schenschip; and the tabernacle of wickid men schal not stonde. CAP 9. 1 Joob answeride, and seide, Verili Y woot, that it is so, 2 and that a man comparisound to God schal not be maad iust. 3 If he wole stryue with God, he may not answere to God oon for a thousynde. 4 He is wiys in herte, and strong in myyt; who ayenstood hym, and hadde pees? 5 Which bar hillis fro o place to anothir, and thei wisten not; whiche he distriede in his strong veniaunce. 6 Which stirith the erthe fro his place, and the pilers therof schulen `be schakun togidere. 7 Which comaundith to the sunne, and it risith not; and he closith the sterris, as vndur a signet. 8 Which aloone stretchith forth heuenes, and goith on the wawis of the see. 9 Which makith Ariture, and Orionas, and Hiadas, `that is, seuene sterris, and the innere thingis of the south. 10 Which makith grete thingis, and that moun not be souyt out, and wondurful thingis, of whiche is noon noumbre. 11 If 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. 12 If 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. 14 Hou greet am Y, that Y answere to hym, and speke bi my wordis with hym? 15 Which also schal not answere, thouy Y haue ony thing iust; but Y schal biseche my iuge. 16 And whanne he hath herd me inwardli clepynge, Y bileue not, that he hath herd my vois. 17 For in a whirlewynd he schal al to-breke me, and he schal multiplie my woundis, yhe, without cause. 18 He grauntith not, that my spirit haue reste, and he fillith me with bittirnesses. 19 If strengthe is souyt, `he is moost strong; if equyte of doom is souyt, no man dar yelde witnessynge for me. 20 If Y wole make me iust, my mouth schal dampne me; if Y schal schewe me innocent, he schal preue me a schrewe. 21 Yhe, thouy Y am symple, my soule schal not knowe this same thing; and it schal anoye me of my lijf. 22 O thing is, which Y spak, he schal waste `bi deth also the innocent and wickid man. 23 If he betith, sle he onys, and leiye he not of the peynes of innocent men. 24 The erthe is youun in to the hondis of the wickid; he hilith the face of iugis; that if he is not, who therfor is? 25 Mi daies weren swiftere than a corour; thei fledden, and sien not good. 26 Thei passiden as schippis berynge applis, as an egle fleynge to mete. 27 Whanne Y seie, Y schal not speke so; Y chaunge my face, and Y am turmentid with sorewe. 28 Y drede alle my werkis, witynge that thou `woldist not spare the trespassour. 29 Sotheli if Y am also thus wickid, whi haue Y trauelid in veyn? 30 Thouy Y am waischun as with watris of snow, and thouy myn hondis schynen as moost cleene, 31 netheles thou schalt dippe me in filthis, and my clothis, `that is, werkis, schulen holde me abhomynable. 32 Trewli 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. 34 Do he awei his yerde fro me, and his drede make not me aferd. 35 Y schal speke, and Y schal not drede hym; for Y may not answere dredynge. CAP 10. 1 Yt anoieth my soule of my lijf; Y schal lete my speche ayens me, Y schal speke in the bitternesse of my soule. 2 Y schal seie to God, Nyle thou condempne me; schewe thou to me, whi thou demest me so. 3 Whether it semeth good to thee, if thou `falsli chalengist and oppressist me, the werk of thin hondis; and if thou helpist the counsel of wickid men? 4 Whethir fleischli iyen ben to thee, ethir, as a man seeth, also thou schalt se? 5 Whether thi daies ben as the daies of man, and `thi yeeris ben as mannus tymes; 6 that thou enquere my wickidnesse, and enserche my synne? 7 And wite, that Y haue do no `wickid thing; sithen no man is, that may delyuere fro thin hond? 8 Thin hondis han maad me, and han formed me al in cumpas; and thou castist me doun so sodeynli. 9 Y preye, haue thou mynde, that thou madist me as cley, and schalt brynge me ayen in to dust. 10 Whether thou hast not mylkid me as mylk, and hast cruddid me togidere as cheese? 11 Thou clothidist me with skyn and fleisch; thou hast ioyned me togidere with boonys and senewis. 12 Thou hast youe lijf and mercy to me, and thi visiting hath kept my spirit. 13 Thouy thou helist these thingis in thin herte, netheles Y woot, that thou hast mynde of alle thingis. 14 If Y dide synne, and thou sparidist me at an our; whi suffrist thou not me to be cleene of my wickidnesse? 15 And if Y was wickid, wo is to me; and if Y was iust, Y fillid with turment and wretchidnesse `schal not reise the heed. 16 And if Y reise `the heed for pride, thou schalt take me as a lionesse; and thou turnest ayen, and turmentist me wondirli. 17 Thou gaderist in store thi witnessis ayens me, and thou multipliest thin yre, `that is, veniaunce, ayens me; and peynes holden knyythod in me. 18 Whi hast thou led me out of the wombe? `And Y wolde, that Y were wastid, lest an iye `schulde se me. 19 That Y hadde be, as if Y were not, and `were translatid, ethir borun ouer, fro the wombe to the sepulcre. 20 Whether the fewnesse of my daies schal not be endid in schort? Therfor suffre thou me, that Y biweile `a litil my sorewe, 21 bifor that Y go, and turne not ayen, to the derk lond, and hilid with the derknesse of deth, to the lond of wrecchidnesse and of derknessis; 22 where is schadewe of deeth, and noon ordre, but euerlastynge hidousnesse dwellith. CAP 11. 1 Forsothe Sophar Naamathites answeride, and seide, 2 Whether he, that spekith many thingis, schal not also here? ether whethir a man ful of wordis schal be maad iust? 3 Schulen men be stille to thee aloone? whanne thou hast scorned othere men, schalt thou not be ouercomun of ony man? 4 For thou seidist, My word is cleene, and Y am cleene in thi siyt. 5 And `Y wolde, that God spak with thee, and openyde hise lippis to thee; 6 to schewe to thee the priuetees of wisdom, and that his lawe is manyfold, and thou schuldist vndurstonde, that thou art requirid of hym to paie myche lesse thingis, than thi wickidnesse disserueth. 7 In hap thou schalt comprehende the steppis of God, and thou schalt fynde Almyyti God `til to perfeccioun. 8 He is hiyere than heuene, and what schalt thou do? he is deppere than helle, and wherof schalt thou knowe? 9 His mesure is lengere than erthe, and brodere than the see. 10 If he distrieth alle thingis, ethir dryueth streitli `in to oon, who schal ayenseie hym? Ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doest thou so? 11 For he knowith the vanyte of men; and whether he seynge byholdith not wickidnesse? 12 A veyn man is reisid in to pride; and gessith hym silf borun fre, as the colt of a wilde asse. 13 But thou hast maad stidefast thin herte, and hast spred abrood thin hondis to hym. 14 If thou doest awei `fro thee the wickidnesse, which is in thin hond, and vnriytfulnesse dwellith not in thi tabernacle, 15 thanne thou schalt mowe reise thi face with out wem, and thou schalt be stidefast, and thou schalt not drede. 16 And thou schalt foryete wretchidnesse, and thou schalt not thenke of it, as of watris that han passid. 17 And as myddai schynynge it schal reise to thee at euentid; and whanne thou gessist thee wastid, thou schalt rise vp as the dai sterre. 18 And thou schalt haue trist, while hope schal be set forth to thee; and thou biried schalt slepe sikurli. 19 Thou schalt reste, and `noon schal be that schal make thee aferd; and ful many men schulen biseche thi face. 20 But the iyen of wickid men schulen faile; and socour schal perische fro hem, and the hope of hem schal be abhominacyioun of soule. CAP 12. 1 Sotheli Joob answeride, and seide, 2 Therfor ben ye men aloone, that wisdom dwelle with you? 3 And to me is an herte, as and to you, and Y am not lowere than ye; for who knowith not these thingis, whiche ye knowen? 4 He that is scorned of his frend, as Y am, schal inwardli clepe God, and God schal here hym; for the symplenesse of a iust man is scorned. 5 A laumpe is dispisid at the thouytis of riche men, and the laumpe is maad redi to a tyme ordeyned. 6 The tabernaclis of robberis ben plenteuouse, `ether ful of goodis; and boldli thei terren God to wraththe, whanne he hath youe alle thingis in to her hondis. 7 No wondur, ax thou beestis, and tho schulen teche thee; and axe thou volatilis of the eir, and tho schulen schewe to thee. 8 Speke thou to the erthe, and it schal answere thee; and the fischis of the see schulen telle tho thingis. 9 Who knowith not that the hond of the Lord made alle these thingis? 10 In whos hond the soule is of ech lyuynge thing, and the spirit, `that is, resonable soule, of ech fleisch of man. 11 Whether the eere demeth not wordis, and the chekis of the etere demen sauour? 12 Wisdom is in elde men, and prudence is in myche tyme. 13 Wisdom and strengthe is at God; he hath counsel and vndurstondyng. 14 If he distrieth, no man is that bildith; if he schittith in a man, `noon is that openith. 15 If he holdith togidere watris, alle thingis schulen be maad drie; if he sendith out tho watris, tho schulen distrie the erthe. 16 Strengthe and wisdom is at God; he knowith bothe hym that disseyueth and hym that is disseyued. 17 And he bryngith conselours in to a fonned eende, and iugis in to wondryng, ethir astonying. 18 He vnbindith the girdil of kyngis, and girdith her reynes with a coorde. 19 He ledith her prestis with out glorie, and he disseyueth the principal men, `ethir counselours; 20 and he chaungith the lippis of sothefast men, and takith awei the doctrine of elde men. 21 He schedith out dispisyng on princes, and releeueth hem, that weren oppressid. 22 Which schewith depe thingis fro derknessis; and bryngith forth in to liyt the schadewe of deeth. 23 Which multiplieth folkis, and leesith hem, and restorith hem destried in to the hool. 24 Which chaungith the herte of princes of the puple of erthe; and disseyueth hem, that thei go in veyn out of the weie. 25 Thei schulen grope, as in derknessis, and not in liyt; and he schal make hem to erre as drunken men. CAP 13. 1 Lo! myn iye siy alle thingis, and myn eere herde; and Y vndurstood alle thingis. 2 Euene with youre kunnyng also Y kan, and Y am not lowere than ye. 3 But netheles Y schal speke to Almyyti God, and Y coueite to dispute with God; 4 and firste Y schewe you makeris of leesyng, and louyeris of weyward techyngis. 5 And `Y wolde that ye weren stille, that ye weren gessid to be wise men. 6 Therfor here ye my chastisyngis; and perseyue ye the doom of my lippis. 7 Whether God hath nede to youre leesyng, that ye speke gilis for hym? 8 Whether ye taken his face, and enforsen to deme for God? 9 Ethir it schal plese hym, fro whom no thing mai be hid? Whether he as a man schal be disseyued with youre falsnessis? 10 He schal repreue you; for ye taken his face in hiddlis. 11 Anoon as he schal stire hym, he schal disturble you; and his drede schal falle on you. 12 Youre mynde schal be comparisound to aische; and youre nollis schulen be dryuun in to clei. 13 Be ye stille a litil, that Y speke, what euer thing the mynde hath schewid to me. 14 Whi to-rende Y my fleischis with my teeth, and bere my lijf in myn hondis? 15 Yhe, thouy God sleeth me, Y schal hope in hym; netheles Y schal preue my weies in his siyt. 16 And he schal be my sauyour; for whi ech ypocrite schal not come in his siyt. 17 Here ye my word, and perseyue ye with eeris derke and harde figuratif spechis. 18 Yf Y schal be demed, Y woot that Y schal be foundun iust. 19 Who is he that is demed with me? Come he; whi am Y stille, and am wastid? 20 Do thou not to me twei thingis oneli; and thanne Y schal not be hid fro thi face. 21 Make thin hond fer fro me; and thi drede make not me aferd. 22 Clepe thou me, and Y schal answere thee; ethir certis Y schal speke, and thou schalt answere me. 23 Hou grete synnes and wickidnessis haue Y? Schewe thou to me my felonyes, and trespassis. 24 Whi hidist thou thi face, and demest me thin enemy? 25 Thou schewist thi myyt ayens a leef, which is rauyschid with the wynd; and thou pursuest drye stobil. 26 For thou writist bitternessis ayens me; and wolt waste me with the synnes of my yong wexynge age. 27 Thou hast set my foot in a stok, and thou hast kept alle my pathis; and thou hast biholde the steppis of my feet. 28 And Y schal be wastid as rot, and as a cloth, which is etun of a mouyte. CAP 14. 1 A man is borun of a womman, and lyueth schort tyme, and is fillid with many wretchidnessis. 2 Which goith out, and is defoulid as a flour; and fleeth as schadewe, and dwellith neuere perfitli in the same staat. 3 And gessist thou it worthi to opene thin iyen on siche a man; and to brynge hym in to doom with thee? 4 Who may make a man clene conseyued of vnclene seed? Whether not thou, which art aloone? 5 The daies of man ben schorte, the noumbre of his monethis is at thee; thou hast set, ethir ordeyned, hise termes, whiche moun not be passid. 6 Therfor go thou awey fro hym a litil, `that is, bi withdrawyng of bodili lijf, that he haue reste; til the meede coueitid come, and his dai is as the dai of an hirid man. 7 A tree hath hope, if it is kit doun; and eft it wexith greene, and hise braunches spreden forth. 8 If the roote therof is eeld in the erthe, and the stok therof is nyy deed in dust; 9 it schal buriowne at the odour of watir, and it schal make heer, as whanne it was plauntid first. 10 But whanne a man is deed, and maad nakid, and wastid; Y preye, where is he? 11 As if watris goen awei fro the see, and a ryuer maad voide wexe drie, 12 so a man, whanne he hath slept, `that is, deed, he schal not rise ayen, til heuene be brokun, `that is, be maad newe; he schal not wake, nether he schal ryse togidere fro his sleep. 13 Who yiueth this to me, that thou defende me in helle, and that thou hide me, til thi greet veniaunce passe; and thou sette to me a tyme, in which thou haue mynde on me? 14 Gessist thou, whethir a deed man schal lyue ayen? In alle the daies, in whiche Y holde knyythod, now Y abide, til my chaungyng come. 15 Thou schalt clepe me, and Y schal answere thee; thou schalt dresse the riyt half, `that is, blis, to the werk of thin hondis. 16 Sotheli thou hast noumbrid my steppis; but spare thou my synnes. 17 Thou hast seelid as in a bagge my trespassis, but thou hast curid my wickidnesse. 18 An hil fallynge droppith doun; and a rooche of stoon is borun ouer fro his place. 19 Watris maken stoonys holowe, and the erthe is wastid litil and litil bi waischyng a wey of watir; and therfor thou schalt leese men in lijk maner. 20 Thou madist a man strong a litil, that he schulde passe with outen ende; thou schalt chaunge his face, and schalt sende hym out. 21 Whether hise sones ben noble, ether vnnoble, he schal not vndurstonde. 22 Netheles his fleisch, while he lyueth, schal haue sorewe, and his soule schal morne on hym silf. CAP 15. 1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide, 2 Whether a wise man schal answere, as spekynge ayens the wynd, and schal fille his stomac with brennyng, `that is, ire? 3 For thou repreuest hym bi wordis, which is not lijk thee, and thou spekist that, that spedith not to thee. 4 As myche as is in thee, thou hast avoidid drede; and thou hast take awey preyeris bifor God. 5 For wickidnesse hath tauyt thi mouth, and thou suest the tunge of blasfemeris. 6 Thi tunge, and not Y, schal condempne thee, and thi lippis schulen answere thee. 7 Whether thou art borun the firste man, and art formed bifor alle little hillis? 8 Whether thou herdist the counsel of God, and his wisdom is lower than thou? 9 What thing knowist thou, whiche we knowen not? What thing vndurstondist thou, whiche we witen not? 10 Bothe wise men and elde, myche eldre than thi fadris, ben among vs. 11 Whether it is greet, that God coumforte thee? But thi schrewid wordis forbeden this. 12 What reisith thin herte thee, and thou as thenkynge grete thingis hast iyen astonyed? 13 What bolneth thi spirit ayens God, that thou brynge forth of thi mouth siche wordis? 14 What is a man, that he be with out wem, and that he borun of a womman appere iust? 15 Lo! noon among hise seyntis is vnchaungable, and heuenes ben not cleene in his siyt. 16 How myche more a man abhomynable and vnprofitable, that drynkith wickidnesse as water? 17 I schal schewe to thee, here thou me; Y schal telle to thee that, that Y siy. 18 Wise men knoulechen, and hiden not her fadris. 19 To whiche aloone the erthe is youun, and an alien schal not passe bi hem. 20 A wickid man is proud in alle hise daies; and the noumbre of hise yeeris and of his tirauntrie is vncerteyn. 21 The sown of drede is euere in hise eeris, and whanne pees is, he supposith euere tresouns. 22 He bileueth not that he may turne ayen fro derknessis to liyt; and biholdith aboute on ech side a swerd. 23 Whanne he stirith hym to seke breed, he woot, that the dai of derknessis is maad redi in his hond. 24 Tribulacioun schal make hym aferd, and angwisch schal cumpas hym, as a kyng which is maad redi to batel. 25 For he helde forth his hond ayens God, and he was maad strong ayens Almyyti God. 26 He ran with neck reisid ayens God, and he was armed with fat nol. 27 Fatnesse, 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. 28 He schal dwelle in desolat citees, and in deseert, `ethir forsakun, housis, that ben turned in to biriels. 29 He schal not be maad riche, nether his catel schal dwelle stidefastli; nether he schal sende his roote in the erthe, 30 nether 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. 31 Bileue he not veynli disseyued bi errour, that he schal be ayenbouyt bi ony prijs. 32 Bifor that hise daies ben fillid, he schal perische, and hise hondis schulen wexe drye; 33 he schal be hirt as a vyne in the firste flour of his grape, and as an olyue tre castinge awei his flour. 34 For the gaderyng togidere of an ipocrite is bareyn, and fier schal deuoure the tabernaclis of hem, that taken yiftis wilfuli. 35 He conseyuede sorewe, and childide wickidnesse, and his wombe makith redi tretcheries. CAP 16. 1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Y `herde ofte siche thingis; 2 alle ye ben heuy coumfortouris. 3 Whether wordis ful of wynd schulen haue an ende? ether ony thing is diseseful to thee, if thou spekist? 4 Also Y myyte speke thingis lijk to you, and `Y wolde, that youre soule were for my soule; 5 and Y wolde coumfort you by wordis, and Y wolde moue myn heed on you; 6 Y wolde make you stronge bi my mouth, and Y wolde moue lippis as sparynge you. 7 But what schal Y do? If Y speke, my sorewe restith not; and if Y am stille, it goith not awei fro me. 8 But now my sorewe hath oppressid me, and alle my lymes ben dryuun in to nouyt. 9 My ryuelyngis seien witnessyng ayens me, and a fals spekere is reisid ayens my face, and ayenseith me. 10 He gaderide togidere his woodnesse in me, and he manaasside me, and gnastide ayens me with his teeth; myn enemye bihelde me with ferdful iyen. 11 Thei openyden her mouthis on me, and thei seiden schenschip, and smytiden my cheke; and thei ben fillid with my peynes. 12 God hath closid me togidere at the wickid, and hath youe me to the hondis of wickid men. 13 Y thilke riche man and famouse sum tyme, am al to brokun sudeynli; `he helde my nol; he hath broke me, and hath set me as in to a signe. 14 He hath cumpasside me with hise speris, he woundide togidere my leendis; he sparide not, and schedde out myn entrails in to the erthe. 15 He beet me with wounde on wounde; he as a giaunt felde in on me. 16 Y sewide togidere a sak on my skyn; and Y hilide my fleisch with aische. 17 My face bolnyde of wepynge, and myn iyeliddis wexiden derke. 18 Y suffride these thingis with out wickidnesse of myn hond, `that is, werk, whanne Y hadde cleene preieris to God. 19 Erthe, hile thou not my blood, and my cry fynde not in thee a place of hidyng. 20 `For, lo! my witnesse is in heuene; and the knowere of my consience is in hiye places. 21 A! my frendis, ful of wordis, myn iye droppith to God. 22 And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe. 23 `For lo! schorte yeeris passen, and Y go a path, bi which Y schal not turne ayen. CAP 17. 1 Mi spirit schal be maad feble; my daies schulen be maad schort, and oneli the sepulcre is left to me. 2 Y have not synned, and myn iye dwellith in bittirnessis. 3 Lord, delyuere thou me, and sette thou me bisidis thee; and the hond of ech fiyte ayens me. 4 Thou hast maad the herte of hem fer fro doctryn, `ethir knowyng of treuthe; therfor thei schulen not be enhaunsid. 5 He bihetith prey to felowis, and the iyen of hise sones schulen faile. 6 He hath set as in to a prouerbe of the comyn puple, and his saumple bifor hem. 7 Myn `iye dasewide at indignacioun; and my membris ben dryuun as in to nouyt. 8 Iust men schulen wondre on this thing; and an innocent schal be reisid ayens an ypocrite. 9 And a iust man schal holde his weie, and he schal adde strengthe to clene hondis. 10 Therfor alle `ye be conuertid, and come ye; and Y schal not fynde in you ony wiys man. 11 My daies ben passid; my thouytis ben scaterid, turmentynge myn herte. 12 Tho han turned the nyyt `in to day; and eft aftir derknessis hope liyt. 13 If Y `susteyne, ether suffre pacientli, helle is myn hous; and Y haue arayede my bed in derknessis. 14 Y seide to rot, Thou art my fadur; and to wormes, Ye ben my modir and my sister. 15 Therfor where is now myn abidyng? and who biholdith my pacience? 16 Alle my thingis schulen go doun in to deppeste helle; gessist thou, whether reste schal be to me, nameli there. CAP 18. 1 Forsothe Baldach Suythes answeride, and seide, 2 `Til to what ende schalt thou booste with wordis? Vndurstonde thou first, and so speke we. 3 Whi ben we arettid as beestis, and han we be foule bifor thee? 4 What leesist thou thi soule in thi woodnes? Whether the erthe schal be forsakun `for thee, and hard stoonys schulen be borun ouer fro her place? 5 Whethir the liyt of a wickid man schal not be quenchid; and the flawme of his fier schal not schyne? 6 Liyt schal wexe derke in his tabernacle; and the lanterne, which is on hym, schal be quenchid. 7 The steppis of his vertu schulen be maad streit; and his counsel schal caste hym doun. 8 For he hath sent hise feet in to a net; and he goith in the meschis therof. 9 His foot schal be holdun with a snare; and thirst schal brenne out ayens hym. 10 The foot trappe of hym is hid in the erthe, and his snare on the path. 11 Dredis schulen make hym aferd on ech side, and schulen biwlappe hise feet. 12 His strengthe be maad feble bi hungur; and pouert asaile hise ribbis. 13 Deuoure it the fairnesse of his skyn; the firste gendrid deth waste hise armes. 14 His trist be takun awei fro his tabernacle; and perischyng, as a kyng, aboue trede on hym. 15 The felowis of hym that is not, dwelle in his tabernacle; brymston be spreynt in his tabernacle. 16 The rootis of hym be maad drie bynethe; sotheli his ripe corn be al to-brokun aboue. 17 His mynde perische fro the erthe; and his name be not maad solempne in stretis. 18 He schal put hym out fro `liyt in to derknessis; and he schal bere hym ouer fro the world. 19 Nethir his seed nether kynrede schal be in his puple, nether ony relifs in hise cuntreis. 20 The laste men schulen wondre in hise daies; and hidousnesse schal asaile the firste men. 21 Therfor these ben the tabernaclis of a wickid man; and this is the place of hym, that knowith not God. CAP 19. 1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Hou long turmente ye my soule, 2 and al to-breken me with wordis? 3 Lo! ten sithis ye schenden me, and ye ben not aschamed, oppressynge me. 4 Forsothe and if Y `koude not, myn vnkynnyng schal be with me. 5 And ye ben reisid ayens me, and repreuen me with my schenschipis. 6 Nameli now vndurstonde ye, that God hath turmentid me not bi euene doom, and hath cumpassid me with hise betyngis. 7 Lo! Y suffrynge violence schal crye, and no man schal here; Y schal crye loude, and `noon is that demeth. 8 He bisette aboute my path, and Y may not go; and he settide derknessis in my weie. 9 He hath spuylid me of my glorye, and hath take awey the coroun fro myn heed. 10 He hath distried me on ech side, and Y perischide; and he hath take awei myn hope, as fro a tre pullid vp bi the roote. 11 His stronge veniaunce was wrooth ayens me; and he hadde me so as his enemye. 12 Hise theues camen togidere, and `maden to hem a wei bi me; and bisegiden my tabernacle in cumpas. 13 He made fer my britheren fro me; and my knowun as aliens yeden awei fro me. 14 My neiyboris forsoken me; and thei that knewen me han foryete me. 15 The tenauntis of myn hows, and myn handmaydis hadden me as a straunger; and Y was as a pilgrym bifor her iyen. 16 Y clepide my seruaunt, and he answeride not to me; with myn owne mouth Y preiede hym. 17 My wijf wlatide my breeth; and Y preiede the sones of my wombe. 18 Also foolis dispisiden me; and whanne Y was goon awei fro hem, thei bacbitiden me. 19 Thei, that weren my counselouris sum tyme, hadden abhomynacioun of me; and he, whom Y louede moost, was aduersarie to me. 20 Whanne fleischis weren wastid, my boon cleuyde to my skyn; and `oneli lippis ben left aboute my teeth. 21 Haue ye merci on me, haue ye merci on me, nameli, ye my frendis; for the hond of the Lord hath touchid me. 22 Whi pursuen ye me, as God pursueth; and ben fillid with my fleischis? 23 Who yyueth to me, that my wordis be writun? Who yyueth to me, 24 that tho be writun in a book with an yrun poyntil, ethir with a plate of leed; ethir with a chisel be grauun in a flynt? 25 For Y woot, that myn ayenbiere lyueth, and in the laste dai Y schal rise fro the erthe; 26 and eft Y schal be cumpassid with my skyn, and in my fleisch Y schal se God, my sauyour. 27 Whom Y my silf schal se, and myn iyen schulen biholde, and not an other man. This myn hope is kept in my bosum. 28 Whi therfor seien ye now, Pursue we hym, and fynde we the roote of a word ayens hym? 29 Therfor fle ye fro the face of the swerd; for the swerd is the vengere of wickidnessis, and wite ye, that doom schal be. CAP 20. 1 Forsothe Sophar Naamathites answeride, and seide, 2 Therfor my thouytis dyuerse comen oon aftir anothir; and the mynde is rauyischid in to dyuerse thingis. 3 Y schal here the techyng, bi which thou repreuest me; and the spirit of myn vndurstondyng schal answere me. 4 Y woot this fro the bigynnyng, sithen man was set on erthe, 5 that the preisyng of wickid men is schort, and the ioie of an ypocrite is at the licnesse of a poynt. 6 Thouy his pride `stieth in to heuene, and his heed touchith the cloudis, 7 he schal be lost in the ende, as a dunghil; and, thei that sien hym, schulen seie, Where is he? 8 As a dreem fleynge awei he schal not be foundun; he schal passe as `a nyytis siyt. 9 The iye that siy hym schal not se; and his place schal no more biholde him. 10 Hise sones schulen be `al to-brokun with nedynesse; and hise hondis schulen yelde to hym his sorewe. 11 Hise boonys schulen be fillid with the vices of his yong wexynge age; and schulen slepe with hym in dust. 12 For whanne yuel was swete in his mouth, he hidde it vndur his tunge. 13 He schal spare it, and schal not forsake it; and schal hide in his throte. 14 His breed in his wombe schal be turned in to galle of snakis withynne. 15 He schal spue out the richessis, whiche he deuouride; and God schal drawe tho ritchessis out of his wombe. 16 He schal souke the heed of snakis; and the tunge of an addre schal sle hym. 17 Se he not the stremys of the flood of the stronde, of hony, and of botere. 18 He schal suffre peyne for alle thingis whiche he hath do, netheles he schal not be wastid; aftir the multitude of his fyndyngis, so and `he schal suffre. 19 For he brake, and made nakid the hows of a pore man; he rauyschide, and bildide it not. 20 And his wombe was not fillid; and whanne he hath that, that he couetide, he may not holde in possessioun. 21 `No thing lefte of his mete; and therfor no thing schal dwelle of his goodis. 22 Whanne he is fillid, he schal be maad streit; he schal `be hoot, and alle sorewe schal falle in on hym. 23 `Y wolde, that his wombe be fillid, that he sende out in to hym the ire of his strong veniaunce, and reyne his batel on hym. 24 He schal fle yrun armuris, and he schal falle in to a brasun boowe. 25 Led out, and goynge out `of his schethe, and schynynge, `ether smytinge with leit, `in to his bittirnesse; orrible fendis schulen go, and schulen come on hym. 26 Alle derknessis ben hid in hise priuytees; fier, which is not teendid, schal deuoure hym; he schal be turmentid left in his tabernacle. 27 Heuenes schulen schewe his wickidnesse; and erthe schal rise togidere ayens hym. 28 The seed of his hows schal be opyn; it schal be drawun doun in the dai of the strong veniaunce of the Lord. 29 This is the part of a wickid man, `which part is youun of God, and the eritage of hise wordis of the Lord. CAP 21. 1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, 2 Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce. 3 Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi. 4 Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori? 5 Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth. 6 And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch. 7 Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis. 8 Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt. 9 Her housis ben sikur, and pesible; and the yerde of God is not on hem. 10 The cow of hem conseyuede, and caluede not a deed calf; the cow caluyde, and is not priued of hir calf. 11 Her litle children goen out as flockis; and her yonge children `maken fulli ioye with pleies. 12 Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun. 13 Thei leden in goodis her daies; and in a point thei goen doun to hellis. 14 Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies. 15 Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him? 16 Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me. 17 Hou 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? 18 Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood. 19 God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite. 20 Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God. 21 For whi what perteyneth it to hym of his hows aftir hym, thouy the noumbre of his monethis be half takun awey? 22 Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye? 23 This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie. 24 Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis. 25 Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis. 26 And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem. 27 Certis Y knowe youre wickid thouytis, and sentensis ayens me. 28 For ye seien, Where is the hows of the prince? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men? 29 Axe ye ech of `the weie goeris; and ye schulen knowe, that he vndurstondith these same thingis, 30 that an yuel man schal be kept in to the dai of perdicioun, and schal be led to the dai of woodnesse. 31 Who schal repreue hise weies bifor hym? and who schal yelde to hym tho thingis, whiche he hath doon? 32 He schal be led to the sepulcris; and he schal wake in the heep of deed men. 33 He was swete to the `stoonys, ether filthis, of helle; and drawith ech man aftir hym, and vnnoumbrable men bifor him. 34 Hou therfor coumforten ye me in veyn, sithen youre answeris ben schewid to `repugne to treuthe? CAP 22. 1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide, 2 Whether a man, yhe, whanne he is of perfit kunnyng, mai be comparisound to God? 3 What profitith it to God, if thou art iust? ethir what schalt thou yyue to hym, if thi lijf is without wem? 4 Whether he schal drede, and schal repreue thee, and schal come with thee in to doom, 5 and not for thi ful myche malice, and thi wickidnessis with out noumbre, `these peynes bifelden iustli to thee? 6 For thou hast take awei with out cause the wed of thi britheren; and hast spuylid nakid men of clothis. 7 Thou yauest not watir to the feynt man; and thou withdrowist breed fro the hungri man. 8 In the strengthe of thin arm thou haddist the lond in possessioun; and thou moost myyti heldist it. 9 Thou leftist widewis voide; and al to-brakist the schuldris of fadirles children. 10 Therfor thou art cumpassid with snaris; and sodeyn drede disturblith thee. 11 And thou gessidist, that thou schuldist not se derknessis; and that thou schuldist not be oppressid with the fersnesse of watris flowyng. 12 Whether thou thenkist, that God is hiyere than heuene, and is enhaunsid aboue the coppe of sterris? 13 And thou seist, What sotheli knowith God? and, He demeth as bi derknesse. 14 A cloude is his hidyng place, and he biholdith not oure thingis, and he `goith aboute the herris of heuene. 15 Whether thou coueitist to kepe the path of worldis, which wickid men han ofte go? 16 Whiche weren takun awei bifor her tyme, and the flood distriede the foundement of hem. 17 Whiche seiden to God, Go thou awei fro vs; and as if Almyyti God may do no thing, thei gessiden hym, 18 whanne he hadde fillid her housis with goodis; the sentence of whiche men be fer fro me. 19 Iust men schulen se, and schulen be glad; and an innocent man schal scorne hem. 20 Whether the reisyng of hem is not kit doun, and fier schal deuoure the relifs of hem? 21 Therfor assente thou to God, and haue thou pees; and bi these thingis thou schalt haue best fruytis. 22 Take thou the lawe of his mouth, and sette thou hise wordis in thin herte. 23 If thou turnest ayen to Almyyti God, thou schalt be bildid; and thou schalt make wickidnesse fer fro thi tabernacle. 24 He schal yyue a flynt for erthe, and goldun strondis for a flynt. 25 And Almyyti God schal be ayens thin enemyes; and siluer schal be gaderid togidere to thee. 26 Thanne on Almyyti God thou schalt flowe with delicis; and thou schalt reise thi face to God. 27 Thou schalt preye hym, and he schal here thee; and thou schalt yelde thi vowis. 28 Thou schalt deme a thing, and it schal come to thee; and lyyt schal schyne in thi weies. 29 For he that is mekid, schal be in glorie; and he that bowith doun hise iyen, schal be saued. 30 An innocent schal be saued; sotheli he schal be saued in the clennesse of hise hondis. CAP 23. 1 Sotheli Joob answeride, and seide, 2 Now also my word is in bitternesse, and the hond of my wounde is agreggid on my weilyng. 3 Who yyueth to me, that Y knowe, and fynde hym, and come `til to his trone? 4 Y schal sette doom bifor hym, and Y schal fille my mouth with blamyngis; 5 that Y kunne the wordis, whiche he schal answere to me, and that Y vnderstonde, what he schal speke to me. 6 Y nyle, that he stryue with me bi greet strengthe, nether oppresse me with the heuynesse of his greetnesse. 7 Sette he forth equite ayens me, and my doom come perfitli to victorie. 8 If Y go to the eest, God apperith not; if Y go to the west, Y schal not vndurstonde hym; if Y go to the left side, 9 what schal Y do? Y schal not take hym; if Y turne me to the riyt side, Y schal not se hym. 10 But he knowith my weie, and he schal preue me as gold, that passith thorouy fier. 11 My foot suede hise steppis; Y kepte his weie, and Y bowide not awey fro it. 12 Y yede not awei fro the comaundementis of hise lippis; and Y hidde in my bosum the wordis of his mouth. 13 For he is aloone, and no man may turne awei hise thouytis; and what euer thing he wolde, his wille dide this thing. 14 Whanne he hath fillid his wille in me, also many othere lijk thingis ben redi to hym. 15 And therfor Y am disturblid of his face, and Y biholdynge hym am anguyschid for drede. 16 God hath maad neische myn herte, and Almyyti God hath disturblid me. 17 For Y perischide not for derknessis neiyynge; nethir myist hilide my face. CAP 24. 1 Tymes ben not hid fro Almyyti God; sotheli thei that knowen hym, knowen not hise daies. 2 Othere men turneden ouer the termes of neiyboris eritage, thei token awei flockis, and fedden tho. 3 Thei driueden awei the asse of fadirlesse children, and token awei the cow of a widewe for a wed. 4 Thei distrieden the weie of pore men, and thei oppressiden togidere the mylde men of erthe. 5 Othere men as wielde assis in deseert goon out to her werk; and thei waken to prey, and bifor maken redy breed to her children. 6 Thei kitten doun a feeld not hern, and thei gaderen grapis of his vyner, whom thei han oppressid bi violence. 7 Thei leeuen men nakid, and taken awei the clothis, to whiche men is noon hiling in coold; 8 whiche men the reynes of munteyns weeten, and thei han noon hilyng, and biclippen stoonys. 9 Thei diden violence, and robbiden fadirles and modirles children; and thei spuyliden, `ether robbiden, the comynte of pore men. 10 Thei token awey eeris of corn fro nakid men, and goynge with out cloth, and fro hungry men. 11 Thei weren hid in myddai among the heepis of tho men, that thirsten, whanne the presses ben trodun. 12 Thei maden men of citees to weile, and the soulis of woundid men schulen crye; and God suffrith it not to go awei vnpunyschid. 13 Thei weren rebel to liyt; thei knewen not the weyes therof, nether thei turneden ayen bi the pathis therof. 14 A mansleere risith ful eerli, and sleeth a nedi man, and a pore man; sotheli bi nyyt he schal be as a nyyt theef. 15 The iye of avouter kepith derknesse, and seith, An yye schal not se me; and he schal hile his face. 16 Thei mynen housis in derknessis, as thei seiden togidere to hem silf in the dai; and thei knewen not liyt. 17 If the morewtid apperith sudeynli, thei demen the schadewe of deth; and so thei goon in derknessis as in liyt. 18 He is vnstablere than the face of the water; his part in erthe be cursid, and go he not bi the weie of vyneris. 19 Passe he to ful greet heete fro the watris of snowis, and the synne of hym `til to hellis. 20 Merci foryete hym; his swetnesse be a worm; be he not in mynde, but be he al to-brokun as `a tre vnfruytful. 21 For he fedde the bareyn, and hir that childith not, and he dide not wel to the widewe. 22 He drow doun stronge men in his strengthe; and whanne he stondith in `greet state, he schal not bileue to his lijf. 23 God yaf to hym place of penaunce, and he mysusith that in to pride; for the iyen of God ben in the weies of that man. 24 Thei ben reisid at a litil, and thei schulen not stonde; and thei schulen be maad low as alle thingis, and thei schulen be takun awei; and as the hyynessis of eeris of corn thei schulen be al to-brokun. 25 That if it is not so, who may repreue me, that Y liede, and putte my wordis bifor God? CAP 25. 1 Forsothe Baldach Suytes answeride, and seide, 2 Power and drede is anentis hym, that is, God, that makith acordyng in hise hiye thingis. 3 Whether noumbre is of hise knyytis? and on whom schyneth not his liyt? 4 Whether a man comparisound to God mai be iustified, ether borun of a womman mai appere cleene? 5 Lo! also the moone schyneth not, and sterris ben not cleene in `his siyt; 6 hou miche more a man rot, and the sone of a man a worm, is vncleene `and vile, if he is comparisound to God. CAP 26. 1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide, Whos helpere art thou? 2 whether `of the feble, and susteyneste the arm of hym, which is not strong? 3 To whom hast thou youe counsel? In hap to hym that hath not wisdom; and thou hast schewid ful myche prudence. 4 Ether whom woldist thou teche? whether not hym, that made brething? 5 Lo! giauntis weilen vnder watris, and thei that dwellen with hem. 6 Helle is nakid bifor hym, and noon hilyng is to perdicioun. 7 Which God stretchith forth the north on voide thing, and hangith the erthe on nouyt. 8 `Which God byndith watris in her cloudis, that tho breke not out togidere dounward. 9 `Whych God holdith the cheer of his seete, and spredith abrood theron his cloude. 10 He hath cumpassid a terme to watris, til that liyt and derknessis be endid. 11 The pilers of heuene tremblen, and dreden at his wille. 12 In the strengthe of hym the sees weren gaderid togidere sudeynly, and his prudence smoot the proude. 13 His spiryt ournede heuenes, and the crokid serpent was led out bi his hond, ledynge out as a mydwijf ledith out a child. 14 Lo! these thingis ben seid in partie of `hise weyes; and whanne we han herd vnnethis a litil drope of his word, who may se the thundur of his greetnesse? CAP 27. 1 Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide, 2 God lyueth, that hath take awey my doom, and Almyyti God, that hath brouyt my soule to bitternesse. 3 For as long as breeth is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nose thirlis, 4 my lippis schulen not speke wickidnesse, nether my tunge schal thenke a leesyng. 5 Fer be it fro me, that Y deme you iust; til Y faile, Y schal not go awei fro myn innocence. 6 Y schal not forsake my iustifiyng, which Y bigan to holde; for myn herte repreueth me not in al my lijf. 7 As my wickid enemy doth; myn aduersarie is as wickid. 8 For what is the hope of an ypocrite, if he rauyschith gredili, and God delyuerith not his soule? 9 Whether God schal here the cry of hym, whanne angwisch schal come on hym? 10 ether whether he may delite in Almyyti God, and inwardli clepe God in al tyme? 11 Y schal teche you bi the hond of God, what thingis Almyyti God hath; and Y schal not hide. 12 Lo! alle ye knowen, and what speken ye veyn thingis with out cause? 13 This is the part of a wickid man anentis God, and the eritage of violent men, ether rauenours, whiche thei schulen take of Almyyti God. 14 If hise children ben multiplied, thei schulen be slayn in swerd; and hise sones sones schulen not be fillid with breed. 15 Thei, that ben residue of hym, schulen be biried in perischyng; and the widewis of hym schulen not wepe. 16 If he gaderith togidere siluer as erthe, and makith redi clothis as cley; 17 sotheli he made redi, but a iust man schal be clothid in tho, and an innocent man schal departe the siluer. 18 As a mouyte he hath bildid his hous, and as a kepere he made a schadewyng place. 19 A riche man, whanne he schal die, schal bere no thing with hym; he schal opene hise iyen, and he schal fynde no thing. 20 Pouert as water schal take hym; and tempeste schal oppresse hym in the nyyt. 21 Brennynge wynd schal take hym, and schal do awei; and as a whirlewynd it schal rauysche hym fro his place. 22 He schal sende out turmentis on hym, and schal not spare; he fleynge schal `fle fro his hond. 23 He schal streyne hise hondis on him, and he schal hisse on hym, and schal biholde his place. CAP 28. 1 Siluer hath bigynnyngis of his veynes; and a place is to gold, in which it is wellid togidere. 2 Irun is takun fro erthe, and a stoon resolued, `ethir meltid, bi heete, is turned in to money. 3 God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis. 4 Also a stronde departith a stoon of derknesse, and the schadewe of deth, fro the puple goynge in pilgrymage; it departith tho hillis, whiche the foot of a nedi man foryat, and hillis with out weie. 5 The erthe, wher of breed cam forth in his place, is destried bi fier. 6 The place of saphir ben stoonys therof, and the clottis therof ben gold. 7 A brid knewe not the weie, and the iye of a vultur, ethir rauenouse brid, bihelde it not. 8 The sones of marchauntis tretiden not on it, and a lyonesse passide not therbi. 9 God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis. 10 He hewide doun ryuers in stoonys; and his iye siy al precious thing. 11 And he souyte out the depthis of floodis; and he brouyte forth hid thingis in to liyt. 12 But where is wisdom foundun, and which is the place of vndurstondyng? 13 A man noot the prijs therof, nether it is foundun in the lond of men lyuynge swetli, `ether delicatli. 14 The depthe of watris seith, It is not in me; and the see spekith, It is not with me. 15 Gold ful cleene schal not be youun for wisdom, nether siluer schal be weied in the chaungyng therof. 16 It schal not be comparysound to the died colours of Iynde, not to the moost preciouse stoon of sardius, nether to saphir. 17 Nether gold, nether glas schal be maad euene worth therto; 18 and hiye and fer apperynge vessels of gold schulen not be chaungid for wisdom, nether schulen be had in mynde in comparisoun therof. Forsothe wisdom is drawun of pryuy thingis; 19 topasie of Ethiope schal not be maad euene worth to wisdom, and moost preciouse diyngis schulen not be set togidere in prijs, `ether comparisound, therto. 20 Therfor wherof cometh wisdom, and which is the place of vndurstondyng? 21 It is hid fro the iyen of alle lyuynge men; also it is hid fro briddis of heuene. 22 Perdicioun and deeth seiden, With oure eeris we herden the fame therof. 23 God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof. 24 For he biholdith the endis of the world, and biholdith alle thingis that ben vndur heuene. 25 `Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure. 26 Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge; 27 thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte out. 28 And he seide to man, Lo! the drede of the Lord, thilke is wisdom; and to go awei fro yuel, is vndurstondyng. CAP 29. 1 Also Joob addide, takynge his parable, and seide, 2 Who yyueth to me, that I be bisidis the elde monethis, bi the daies in whiche God kepte me? 3 Whanne his lanterne schynede on myn heed, and Y yede in derknessis at his liyt. 4 As Y was in the daies of my yongthe, whanne in priuete God was in my tabernacle. 5 Whanne Almyyti God was with me, and my children weren in my cumpas; 6 whanne Y waischide my feet in botere, and the stoon schedde out to me the stremes of oile; 7 whanne Y yede forth to the yate of the citee, and in the street thei maden redi a chaier to me. 8 Yonge men, `that is, wantoun, sien me, and weren hid, and elde men risynge vp stoden; 9 princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth; 10 duykis refreyneden her vois, and her tunge cleuyde to her throte. 11 An eere herynge blesside me, and an iye seynge yeldide witnessyng to me; 12 for Y hadde delyueride a pore man criynge, and a fadirles child, that hadde noon helpere. 13 The blessyng of a man `to perische cam on me, and Y coumfortide the herte of a widewe. 14 Y was clothid with riytfulnesse; and Y clothide me as with a cloth, and with my `doom a diademe. 15 Y was iye `to a blynde man, and foot to a crokyd man. 16 Y was a fadir of pore men; and Y enqueride most diligentli the cause, which Y knew not. 17 Y al tobrak the grete teeth of the wickid man, and Y took awei prey fro hise teeth. 18 And Y seide, Y schal die in my nest; and as a palm tre Y schal multiplie daies. 19 My roote is openyde bisidis watris, and deew schal dwelle in my repyng. 20 My glorie schal euere be renulid, and my bouwe schal be astorid in myn hond. 21 Thei, that herden me, abiden my sentence; and thei weren ententif, and weren stille to my counsel. 22 Thei dursten no thing adde to my wordis; and my speche droppide on hem. 23 Thei abididen me as reyn; and thei openyden her mouth as to the softe reyn `comynge late. 24 If ony tyme Y leiyide to hem, thei bileueden not; and the liyt of my cheer felde not doun in to erthe. 25 If Y wolde go to hem, Y sat the firste; and whanne Y sat as kyng, while the oost stood aboute, netheles Y was comfortour of hem that morenyden. CAP 30. 1 But now yongere men in tyme scornen me, whos fadris Y deynede not to sette with the doggis of my flok. 2 Of whiche men the vertu of hondis was for nouyt to me, and thei weren gessid vnworthi to that lijf. 3 Thei weren bareyn for nedynesse and hungur; that gnawiden in wildirnesse, and weren pale for pouert and wretchidnesse; 4 and eeten eerbis, aud the ryndis of trees; and the roote of iunyperis was her mete. 5 Whiche men rauyschiden these thingis fro grete valeis; and whanne thei hadden foundun ony of alle, thei runnen with cry to tho. 6 Thei dwelliden in deseertis of strondis, and in caues of erthe, ethir on grauel, `ethir on cley. 7 Whiche weren glad among siche thingis, and arettiden delices to be vndur buschis. 8 The sones of foolis and of vnnoble men, and outirli apperynge not in erthe. 9 But now Y am turned in to the song of hem, and Y am maad a prouerbe to hem. 10 Thei holden me abhomynable, and fleen fer fro me, and dreden not to spete on my face. 11 For God hath openyd his arowe caas, and hath turmentid me, and hath set a bridil in to my mouth. 12 At the riytside of the eest my wretchidnessis risiden anoon; thei turneden vpsedoun my feet, and oppressiden with her pathis as with floodis. 13 Thei destrieden my weies; thei settiden tresoun to me, and hadden the maistri; and `noon was that helpide. 14 Thei felden in on me as bi a brokun wal, and bi yate openyd, and weren stretchid forth to my wretchidnessis. 15 Y am dryuun in to nouyt; he took awei my desir as wynd, and myn helpe passide awei as a cloude. 16 But now my soule fadith in my silf, and daies of turment holden me stidfastly. 17 In nyyt my boon is persid with sorewis; and thei, that eten me, slepen not. 18 In the multitude of tho my cloth is wastid, and thei han gird me as with coler of a coote. 19 Y am comparisound to cley, and Y am maad lijk to a deed sparcle and aisch. 20 Y schal cry to thee, and thou schalt not here me; Y stonde, and thou biholdist not me. 21 Thou art chaungid in to cruel to me, and in the hardnesse of thin hond thou art aduersarie to me. 22 Thou hast reisid me, and hast set as on wynd; and hast hurtlid me doun strongli. 23 Y woot, that thow schalt bitake me to deeth, where an hows is ordeyned to ech lyuynge man. 24 Netheles thou sendist not out thin hond to the wastyng of hem; and if thei fallen doun, thou schalt saue. 25 Y wepte sum tyme on him, that was turmentid, and my soule hadde compassioun on a pore man. 26 Y abood goodis, and yuelis ben comun to me; Y abood liyt, and derknessis braken out. 27 Myn ynnere thingis buyliden out with outen my reste; daies of turment camen bifor me. 28 Y yede morenynge, and Y roos with out woodnesse in the cumpenye, and criede. 29 Y was the brother of dragouns, and the felow of ostrigis. 30 My skyn was maad blak on me, and my boonys drieden for heete. 31 Myn harpe is turned in to morenyng, and myn orgun in to the vois of weperis. CAP 31. 1 I made couenaunt with myn iyen, that Y schulde not thenke of a virgyn. 2 For what part schulde God aboue haue in me, and eritage Almyyti God of hiye thingis? 3 Whether perdicioun is not to a wickid man, and alienacioun of God is to men worchynge wickidnesse? 4 Whether he biholdith not my weies, and noumbrith alle my goyngis? 5 If Y yede in vanyte, and my foot hastide in gile, 6 God weie me in a iust balaunce, and knowe my symplenesse. 7 If my step bowide fro the weie; if myn iye suede myn herte, and a spotte cleuede to myn hondis; 8 sowe Y, and another ete, and my generacioun be drawun out bi the root. 9 If myn herte was disseyued on a womman, and if Y settide aspies at the dore of my frend; my wijf be the hoore of anothir man, 10 and othir men be bowid doun on hir. 11 For this is vnleueful, and the moost wickidnesse. 12 Fier is deourynge `til to wastyng, and drawynge vp bi the roote alle generaciouns. 13 If Y dispiside to take doom with my seruaunt and myn hand mayde, whanne thei stryueden ayens me. 14 What sotheli schal Y do, whanne God schal rise to deme? and whanne he schal axe, what schal Y answere to hym? 15 Whether he, that wrouyte also hym, made not me in the wombe, and o God formede me in the wombe? 16 If Y denyede to pore men that, that thei wolden, and if Y made the iyen of a wydewe to abide; 17 if Y aloone eet my mussel, and a faderles child eet not therof; 18 for merciful doyng encreesside with me fro my yong childhed, and yede out of my modris wombe with me; 19 if Y dispiside a man passynge forth, for he hadde not a cloth, and a pore man with out hilyng; 20 if hise sidis blessiden not me, and was not maad hoot of the fleeces of my scheep; 21 if Y reiside myn hond on a fadirles child, yhe, whanne Y siy me the hiyere in the yate; 22 my schuldre falle fro his ioynt, and myn arm with hise boonys be al to-brokun. 23 For euere Y dredde God, as wawis wexynge gret on me; and `Y myyte not bere his birthun. 24 If Y gesside gold my strengthe, and if Y seide to purid gold, Thou art my trist; 25 if Y was glad on my many ritchessis, and for myn hond foond ful many thingis; 26 if Y siy the sunne, whanne it schynede, and the moone goynge clereli; 27 and if myn herte was glad in priuyte, and if Y kisside myn hond with my mouth; 28 which is the moost wickidnesse, and deniyng ayens hiyeste God; 29 if Y hadde ioye at the fallyng of hym, that hatide me, and if Y ioide fulli, that yuel hadde founde hym; 30 for Y yaf not my throte to do synne, that Y schulde asaile and curse his soule; 31 if the men of my tabernacle seiden not, Who yyueth, that we be fillid of hise fleischis? a pilgryme dwellide not with outforth; 32 my dore was opyn to a weiegoere; 33 if Y as man hidde my synne, and helide my wickidnesse in my bosum; 34 if Y dredde at ful greet multitude, and if dispisyng of neyyboris made me aferd; and not more Y was stille, and yede not out of the dore; 35 who yyueth an helpere to me, that Almyyti God here my desire? that he that demeth, 36 write a book, that Y bere it in my schuldre, and cumpasse it as a coroun to me? 37 Bi alle my degrees Y schal pronounce it, and Y schal as offre it to the prynce. 38 If my lond crieth ayens me, and hise forewis wepen with it; 39 if Y eet fruytis therof with out money, and Y turmentide the soule of erthetileris of it; 40 a brere growe to me for wheete, and a thorn for barli. CAP 32. 1 Forsothe these thre men leften of to answere Joob, for he semyde a iust man to hem. 2 And Helyu, the sone of Barachel Buzites, of the kynrede of Ram, was wrooth, and hadde indignacioun; forsothe he was wrooth ayens Joob, for he seide hym silf to be iust bifor God. 3 Sotheli Helyu hadde indignacioun ayens the thre frendis of hym, for thei hadden not founde resonable answere, but oneli hadde condempned Joob. 4 Therfor Helyu abood Joob spekynge, for thei, that spaken, weren eldere men. 5 But whanne he hadde seyn, that thre men myyten not answere, he was wrooth greetly. 6 And Helyu, the sone of Barachel Buzites, answeride, and seyde, Y am yongere in tyme, sotheli ye ben eldere; therfor with heed holdun doun Y dredde to schewe to you my sentence. 7 For Y hopide that lengere age schulde speke, and that the multitude of yeeris schulden teche wisdom. 8 But as Y se, spirit is in men, and the enspiryng `ether reuelacioun, of Almyyti God yyueth vndurstondyng. 9 Men of long lijf ben not wise, and elde men vndurstonden not doom. 10 Therfor Y schal seie, Here ye me, and Y also schal schewe my kunnyng to you. 11 For Y abood youre wordis, Y herde youre prudence, as long as ye dispuytiden in youre wordis. 12 And as long as Y gesside you to seie ony thing, Y bihelde; but as Y se, `noon is of you, that may repreue Joob, and answere to hise wordis; 13 lest perauenture ye seien, We han founde wisdom; God, and not man, hath cast hym awei. 14 Joob spak no thing to me, and Y not bi youre wordis schal answere hym. 15 Thei dredden, and answeriden no more, and token awei speche fro hem silf. 16 Therfor for Y abood, and thei spaken not, thei stoden, and answeriden no more; also Y schal answere my part, 17 and Y schal schewe my kunnyng. 18 For Y am ful of wordis, and the spirit of my wombe, `that is, mynde, constreyneth me. 19 Lo! my wombe is as must with out `spigot, ether a ventyng, that brekith newe vessels. 20 Y schal speke, and brethe ayen a litil; Y schal opene my lippis, and Y schal answere. 21 Y schal not take the persoone of man, and Y schal not make God euene to man. 22 For Y woot not hou long Y schal abide, and if my Makere take me awei `after a litil tyme. CAP 33. 1 Therfor, Joob, here thou my spechis, and herkene alle my wordis. 2 Lo! Y haue openyd my mouth, my tunge schal speke in my chekis. 3 Of symple herte ben my wordis, and my lippis schulen speke clene sentence. 4 The spirit of God made me, and the brething of Almyyti God quykenyde me. 5 If thou maist, answere thou to me, and stoonde thou ayens my face. 6 Lo! God made me as and thee; and also Y am formyd of the same cley. 7 Netheles my myracle make thee not afeerd, and myn eloquence be not greuouse to thee. 8 Therfor thou seidist in myn eeris, and Y herde the vois of thi wordis; 9 Y am cleene, and with out gilt, and vnwemmed, and wickidnesse is not in me. 10 `For God foond querels in me, therfor he demyde me enemy to hym silf. 11 He hath set my feet in a stok; he kepte alle my pathis. 12 Therfor this thing it is, in which thou art not maad iust; Y schal answere to thee, that God is more than man. 13 Thou stryuest ayenus God, that not at alle wordis he answeride to thee. 14 God spekith onys, and the secounde tyme he rehersith not the same thing. 15 God spekith bi a dreem in the visioun of nyyt, whanne sleep fallith on men, and thei slepen in the bed. 16 Thanne he openith the eeris of men, and he techith hem, `and techith prudence; 17 that he turne awei a man fro these thingis whiche he made, and delyuere hym fro pride; delyuerynge his soule fro corrupcioun, 18 and his lijf, that it go not in to swerd. 19 Also God blameth a synnere bi sorewe in the bed, and makith alle the boonys of hym `to fade. 20 Breed is maad abhomynable to hym in his lijf, and mete desirable `bifor to his soule. 21 His fleisch schal faile for rot, and hise boonys, that weren hilid, schulen be maad nakid. 22 His soule schal neiye to corrupcioun, and his lijf to thingis `bryngynge deeth. 23 If an aungel, oon of a thousynde, is spekynge for hym, that he telle the equyte of man, God schal haue mercy on hym, 24 and schal seie, Delyuere thou hym, that he go not doun in to corrupcioun; Y haue founde in what thing Y schal do merci to hym. 25 His fleisch is wastid of turmentis; turne he ayen to the daies of his yonge wexynge age. 26 He schal biseche God, and he schal be quemeful to hym; and he schal se his face in hertly ioye, and he schal yelde to man his riytfulnesse. 27 He schal biholde men, and he schal seie, Y haue synned, and verili Y haue trespassid; and Y haue not resseyued, as Y was worthi. 28 For he delyueride his soule, that it schulde not go in to perischyng, but that he lyuynge schulde se liyt. 29 Lo! God worchith alle these thingis in thre tymes bi alle men; 30 that he ayen clepe her soulis fro corrupcioun, and liytne in the liyt of lyuynge men. 31 Thou, Joob, perseyue, and here me, and be thou stille, the while Y speke. 32 Sotheli if thou hast what thou schalt speke, answere thou to me, speke thou; for Y wole, that thou appere iust. 33 That if thou hast not, here thou me; be thou stille, and Y schal teche thee wisdom. CAP 34. 1 And Helyu pronounside, and spak also these thingis, 2 Wise men, here ye my wordis, and lerned men, herkne ye me; for the eere preueth wordis, 3 and the throte demeth metis bi taast. 4 Chese we doom to vs; and se we among vs, what is the betere. 5 For Job seide, Y am iust, and God hath distried my doom. 6 For whi lesynge is in demynge me, and myn arowe is violent with out ony synne. 7 Who is a man, as Joob is, that drynkith scornyng as watir? 8 that goith with men worchynge wickidnesse, and goith with vnfeithful men? 9 For he seide, A man schal not plese God, yhe, thouy he renneth with God. 10 Therfor ye men hertid, `that is, vndurstonde, here ye me; vnpite, `ethir cruelte, be fer fro God, and wickidnesse fro Almyyti God. 11 For he schal yelde the werk of man to hym; and bi the weies of ech man he schal restore to hym. 12 For verili God schal not condempne with out cause; nether Almyyti God schal distrie doom. 13 What othere man hath he ordeyned on the lond? ether whom hath he set on the world, which he made? 14 If God dressith his herte to hym, he schal drawe to hym silf his spirit and blast. 15 Ech fleisch schal faile togidere; `and a man schal turne ayen in to aisch. 16 Therfor if thou hast vndurstondyng, here thou that that is seid, and herkne the vois of my speche. 17 Whether he that loueth not doom may be maad hool? and hou condempnest thou so myche him, that is iust? 18 Which seith to the kyng, Thou art apostata; which clepith the duykis vnpitouse, `ethir vnfeithful. 19 `Which takith not the persoones of princes, nether knew a tyraunt, whanne he stryuede ayens a pore man; for alle men ben the werk of hise hondis. 20 Thei schulen die sudeynli, and at mydnyyt puplis schulen be troblid, `ethir schulen be bowid, as othere bookis han; and schulen passe, and schulen take `awei `a violent man with out hond. 21 For the iyen of God ben on the weies of men, and biholdith alle goyngis of hem. 22 No derknessis ben, and no schadewe of deeth is, that thei, that worchen wickidnesse, be hid there; 23 for it is `no more in the power of man, that he come to God in to doom. 24 God schal al to-breke many men and vnnoumbrable; and schal make othere men to stonde for hem. 25 For he knowith the werkis of hem; therfor he schal brynge yn niyt, and thei schulen be al to-brokun. 26 He smoot hem, as vnpitouse men, in the place of seinge men. 27 Whiche yeden awei fro hym bi `castyng afore, and nolden vndurstonde alle hise weies. 28 That thei schulden make the cry of a nedi man to come to hym, and that he schulde here the vois of pore men. 29 For whanne he grauntith pees, who is that condempneth? Sithen he hidith his cheer, who is that seeth hym? And on folkis and on alle men `he hath power `to do siche thingis. 30 Which makith `a man ypocrite to regne, for the synnes of the puple. 31 Therfor for Y haue spoke to God, also Y schal not forbede thee. 32 If Y erride, teche thou me; if Y spak wickidnesse, Y schal no more adde. 33 Whether God axith that wickidnesse of thee, for it displeside thee? For thou hast bigunne to speke, and not Y; that if thou knowist ony thing betere, speke thou. 34 Men vndurstondynge, speke to me; and a wise man, here me. 35 Forsothe Joob spak folili, and hise wordis sownen not techyng. 36 My fadir, be Joob preuede `til to the ende; ceesse thou not fro the man of wickidnesse, 37 `that addith blasfemye ouer hise synnes. Be he constreyned among vs in the meene tyme; and thanne bi hise wordis stire he God to the doom. CAP 35. 1 Therfor Helyu spak eft these thingis, Whethir thi thouyt semeth euene, 2 `ether riytful, to thee, that thou schuldist seie, Y am riytfulere than God? 3 For thou seidist, That, that is good, plesith not thee; ethir what profitith it to thee, if Y do synne? 4 Therfor Y schal answere to thi wordis, and to thi frendis with thee. 5 Se thou, and biholde heuene, and biholde thou the eir, that God is hiyere than thou. 6 If thou synnest `ayens hym, what schalt thou anoye hym? and if thi wickidnessis ben multiplied, what schalt thou do ayens hym? 7 Certis if thou doist iustli, what schalt thou yyue to hym; ether what schal he take of thin hond? 8 Thi wickidnesse schal anoie a man, which is lijk thee; and thi riytfulnesse schal helpe the sone of a man. 9 Thei schulen cry for the multitude of fals chalengeris, and thei schulen weile for the violence of the arm of tirauntis. 10 And Joob seide not, Where is God, that made me, and that yaf songis in the nyyt? 11 Which God techith vs aboue the beestis of erthe, and he schal teche vs aboue the briddis of heuene. 12 There thei schulen crye, and God schal not here, for the pride of yuele men. 13 For God schal not here with out cause, and Almyyti God schal biholde the causis of ech man. 14 Yhe, whanne thou seist, He biholdith not; be thou demed bifor hym, and abide thou hym. 15 For now he bryngith not in his strong veniaunce, nether vengith `greetli felonye. 16 Therfor Joob openith his mouth in veyn, and multiplieth wordis with out kunnyng. CAP 36. 1 Also Helyu addide, and spak these thingis, 2 Suffre thou me a litil, and Y schal schewe to thee; for yit Y haue that, that Y schal speke for God. 3 Y schal reherse my kunnyng fro the bigynnyng; and Y schal preue my worchere iust. 4 For verili my wordis ben with out leesyng, and perfit kunnyng schal be preued to thee. 5 God castith not awei myyti men, sithen he is myyti; 6 but he saueth not wickid men, and he yyueth dom to pore men. 7 He takith not awei hise iyen fro a iust man; and he settith kyngis in seete with out ende, and thei ben reisid there. 8 And if thei ben in chaynes, and ben boundun with the roopis of pouert, 9 he schal shewe to hem her werkis, and her grete trespassis; for thei weren violent, `ethir rauenours. 10 Also he schal opene her eere, that he chastise; and he schal speke, that thei turne ayen fro wickidnesse. 11 If thei heren, and kepen, thei schulen fille her daies in good, and her yeris in glorie. 12 Sotheli if thei heren not, thei schulen passe bi swerd, and thei schulen be wastid in foli. 13 Feyneris and false men stiren the ire of God; and thei schulen not crye, whanne thei ben boundun. 14 The soule of hem schal die in tempest; and the lijf of hem among `men of wymmens condiciouns. 15 He schal delyuere a pore man fro his angwisch; and he schal opene `the eere of hym in tribulacioun. 16 Therfor he schal saue thee fro the streit mouth of the broddeste tribulacioun, and not hauynge a foundement vndur it; sotheli the rest of thi table schal be ful of fatnesse. 17 Thi cause is demed as the cause of a wickid man; forsothe thou schalt resseyue thi cause and doom. 18 Therfor ire ouercome thee not, that thou oppresse ony man; and the multitude of yiftis bowe thee not. 19 Putte doun thi greetnesse with out tribulacioun, and putte doun alle stronge men bi strengthe. 20 Dilaie thou not nyyt, that puplis stie for hem. 21 Be thou war, that thou bowe not to wickidnesse; for thou hast bigunne to sue this wickidnesse aftir wretchidnesse. 22 Lo! God is hiy in his strengthe, and noon is lijk hym among the yyueris of lawe. 23 Who mai seke out the weies of God? ethir who dar seie to hym, Thou hast wrouyt wickidnesse? 24 Haue thou mynde, that thou knowist not his werk, of whom men sungun. 25 Alle men seen God; ech man biholdith afer. 26 Lo! God is greet, ouercomynge oure kunnyng; the noumbre of hise yeeris is with out noumbre. 27 Which takith awei the dropis of reyn; and schedith out reynes at the licnesse of floodyatis, 28 whiche comen doun of the cloudis, that hilen alle thingis aboue. 29 If he wole stretche forthe cloudis as his tente, 30 and leite with his liyt fro aboue, he schal hile, yhe, 31 the herris of the see. For bi these thingis he demeth puplis, and yyueth mete to many deedli men. CAP 37. 32 In hondis he hidith liyt; and comaundith it, that it come eft. 33 He tellith of it to his freend, that it is his possessioun; and that he may stie to it. 1 Myn herte dredde of this thing, and is moued out of his place. 2 It schal here an heryng in the feerdfulnesse of his vois, and a sown comynge forth of his mouth. 3 He biholdith ouere alle heuenes; and his liyt is ouere the termes of erthe. 4 Sown schal rore aftir hym, he schal thundre with the vois of his greetnesse; and it schal not be souyt out, whanne his vois is herd. 5 God schal thundre in his vois wondurfulli, that makith grete thingis and that moun not be souyt out. 6 Which comaundith to the snow to come doun on erthe, and to the reynes of wijntir, and to the reynes of his strengthe. 7 Which markith in the hond of alle men, that alle men knowe her werkis. 8 An vnresonable beeste schal go in to his denne, and schal dwelle in his caue, `ethir derke place. 9 Tempestis schulen go out fro the ynnere thingis, and coold fro Arturus. 10 Whanne God makith blowyng, frost wexith togidere; and eft ful brood watris ben sched out. 11 Whete desirith cloudis, and cloudis spreeden abrood her liyt. 12 Whiche cloudes cumpassen alle thingis bi cumpas, whidur euere the wil of the gouernour ledith tho, to al thing which he comaundith `to tho on the face of the world; 13 whether in o lynage, ethir in his lond, ether in what euer place of his merci he comaundith tho to be foundun. 14 Joob, herkene thou these thingis; stonde thou, and biholde the meruels of God. 15 Whethir thou woost, whanne God comaundide to the reynes, that tho schulen schewe the liyt of hise cloudis? 16 Whether thou knowist the grete weies of cloudis, and perfit kunnyngis? 17 Whether thi cloothis ben not hoote, whanne the erthe is blowun with the south? 18 In hap thou madist with hym heuenes, which moost sad ben foundid, as of bras. 19 Schewe thou to vs, what we schulen seie to hym; for we ben wlappid in derknessis. 20 Who schal telle to hym, what thingis Y speke? yhe, if he spekith, a man schal be deuourid. 21 And now men seen not liyt; the eir schal be maad thicke sudenli in to cloudis, and wynd passynge schal dryue awei tho. 22 Gold schal come fro the north, and ferdful preisyng of God. 23 For we moun not fynde him worthili; he is greet in strengthe, and in doom, and in riytfulnesse, and may not be teld out. 24 Therfor men schulen drede hym; and alle men, that semen to hem silf to be wise, schulen not be hardi to biholde. CAP 38. 1 Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob, 2 and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis? 3 Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me. 4 Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng. 5 Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne? 6 On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof, 7 whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli? 8 Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe? 9 Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed. 10 Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris; 11 and Y seide, `Til hidur thou schalt come, and thou schalt not go forth ferthere; and here thou schalt breke togidere thi bolnynge wawis. 12 Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place? 13 Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro? 14 A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth. 15 The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun. 16 Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian? 17 Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris? 18 Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis, 19 in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse; 20 that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows. 21 Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies? 22 Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail? 23 whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel. 24 Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe? 25 Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn, 26 and weie of the thundur sownynge? That it schulde reyne on the erthe with out man in desert, where noon of deedli men dwellith? 27 That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis? 28 Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew? 29 Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene? 30 Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere. 31 Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis? 32 Whether thou bryngist forth Lucifer, `that is, dai sterre, in his tyme, and makist euene sterre to rise on the sones of erthe? 33 Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe? 34 Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee? 35 Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present? 36 Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok? 37 Who schal telle out the resoun of heuenes, and who schal make acordyng of heuene to sleep? 38 Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere? 39 Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis, 40 whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes? 41 Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis? CAP 39. 1 Whethir thou knowist the tyme of birthe of wielde geet in stoonys, ethir hast thou aspied hyndis bryngynge forth calues? 2 Hast thou noumbrid the monethis of her conseyuyng, and hast thou knowe the tyme of her caluyng? 3 Tho ben bowid to the calf, and caluen; and senden out roryngis. 4 Her calues ben departid, and goen to pasture; tho goen out, and turnen not ayen to `tho hyndis. 5 Who let go the wielde asse fre, and who loside the boondis of hym? 6 To whom Y haue youe an hows in wildirnesse, and the tabernacles of hym in the lond of saltnesse. 7 He dispisith the multitude of citee; he herith not the cry of an axere. 8 He lokith aboute the hillis of his lesewe, and he sekith alle greene thingis. 9 Whether an vnycorn schal wilne serue thee, ethir schal dwelle at thi cratche? 10 Whether thou schalt bynde the vnicorn with thi chayne, for to ere, ethir schal he breke the clottis of valeis aftir thee? 11 Whether thou schalt haue trist in his grete strengthe, and schalt thou leeue to hym thi traueils? 12 Whether thou schalt bileue to hym, that he schal yelde seed to thee, and schal gadere togidere thi cornfloor? 13 The fethere of an ostriche is lijk the fetheris of a gerfawcun, and of an hauk; 14 which ostrige forsakith hise eirun in the erthe, in hap thou schalt make tho hoot in the dust. 15 He foryetith, that a foot tredith tho, ethir that a beeste of the feeld al tobrekith tho. 16 He is maad hard to hise briddis, as if thei ben not hise; he traueilide in veyn, while no drede constreynede. 17 For God hath priued hym fro wisdom, and `yaf not vnderstondyng to hym. 18 Whanne tyme is, he reisith the wengis an hiy; he scorneth the hors, and his ridere. 19 Whether thou schalt yyue strengthe to an hors, ether schal yyue neiyng `aboute his necke? 20 Whether thou schalt reyse hym as locustis? The glorie of hise nosethirlis is drede. 21 He diggith erthe with the foot, he `fulli ioieth booldli; he goith ayens armed men. 22 He dispisith ferdfulnesse, and he yyueth not stide to swerd. 23 An arowe caas schal sowne on hym; a spere and scheeld schal florische. 24 He is hoot, and gnastith, and swolewith the erthe; and he arettith not that the crie of the trumpe sowneth. 25 Whanne he herith a clarioun, he `seith, Joie! he smellith batel afer; the excityng of duykis, and the yellyng of the oost. 26 Whether an hauk spredinge abrood hise wyngis to the south, bigynneth to haue fetheris bi thi wisdom? 27 Whether an egle schal be reisid at thi comaundement, and schal sette his nest in hiy places? 28 He dwellith in stoonys, and he dwellith in flyntis brokun bifor, and in rochis, to whiche `me may not neiye. 29 Fro thennus he biholdith mete, and hise iyen loken fro fer. 30 Hise briddis souken blood, and where euere a careyn is, anoon he is present. 31 And the Lord addide, and spak to Joob, 32 Whether he, that stryueth with God, schal haue rest so liytli? Sotheli he, that repreueth God, owith for to answere to hym. 33 Forsothe Joob answeride to the Lord, 34 and seide, What may Y answere, which haue spoke liytli? Y schal putte myn hond on my mouth. 35 Y spak o thing, which thing Y wold, that Y hadde not seid; and Y spak anothir thing, to which Y schal no more adde. CAP 40. 1 Forsothe the Lord answeride to Joob fro the whirlewynd, 2 and seide, Girde thou as a man thi leendis, and Y schal axe thee, and schewe thou to me. 3 Whether thou schalt make voide my doom, and schalt condempne me, that thou be maad iust? 4 And if thou hast an arm, as God hath, and if thou thundrist with lijk vois, `take thou fairnesse aboute thee, 5 and be thou reisid an hiy, and be thou gloriouse, and be thou clothid `in faire clothis. 6 Distrie thou proude men in thi woodnesse, and biholde thou, and make lowe ech bostere. 7 Biholde thou alle proude men, and schende thou hem; and al to-breke thou wickid men in her place. 8 Hide thou hem in dust togidere, and drenche doun her faces in to a diche. 9 And Y schal knowleche, that thi riyt hond may saue thee. 10 Lo! behemot, whom Y made with thee, schal as an oxe ete hey. 11 His strengthe is in hise leendis, and his vertu is in the nawle of his wombe. 12 He streyneth his tail as a cedre; the senewis of his `stones of gendrure ben foldid togidere. 13 Hise boonys ben as the pipis of bras; the gristil of hym is as platis of yrun. 14 He is the bigynnyng of the weies of God; he, that made hym, schal sette his swerd to hym. 15 Hillis beren eerbis to this behemot; alle the beestis of the feeld pleien there. 16 He slepith vndur schadewe, in the pryuete of rehed, in moiste places. 17 Schadewis hilen his schadewe; the salewis of the ryuer cumpassen hym. 18 He schal soupe vp the flood, and he schal not wondre; he hath trist, that Jordan schal flowe in to his mouth. 19 He schal take hem bi `the iyen of hym, as bi an hook; and bi scharpe schaftis he schal perse hise nosethirlis. 20 Whether thou schalt mowe drawe out leuyathan with an hook, and schalt bynde with a roop his tunge? 21 Whethir thou schalt putte a ryng in hise nosethirlis, ethir schalt perse hyse cheke with `an hook? 22 Whether he schal multiplie preieris to thee, ether schal speke softe thingis to thee? 23 Whether he schal make couenaunt with thee, and `thou schalt take him a seruaunt euerlastinge? 24 Whether thou schalt scorne hym as a brid, ethir schalt bynde hym to thin handmaidis? 25 Schulen frendis `kerue hym, schulen marchauntis departe hym? 26 Whether thou schalt fille nettis with his skyn, and a `leep of fischis with his heed? 27 Schalt thou putte thin hond on hym? haue thou mynde of the batel, and adde no more to speke. 28 Lo! his hope schal disseyue hym; and in the siyt of alle men he schal be cast doun. CAP 41. 1 I not as cruel schal reise hym; for who may ayenstonde my face? 2 And who `yaf to me bifore, that Y yelde to hym? Alle thingis, that ben vndur heuene, ben myne. 3 Y schal not spare hym for myyti wordis, and maad faire to biseche. 4 Who schal schewe the face of his clothing, and who schal entre in to the myddis of his mouth? 5 Who schal opene the yatis of his cheer? ferdfulnesse is bi the cumpas of hise teeth. 6 His bodi is as yotun scheldys of bras, and ioyned togidere with scalis ouerleiynge hem silf. 7 Oon is ioyned to another; and sotheli brething goith not thorouy tho. 8 Oon schal cleue to anothir, and tho holdynge hem silf schulen not be departid. 9 His fnesynge is as schynynge of fier, and hise iyen ben as iyelidis of the morewtid. 10 Laumpis comen forth of his mouth, as trees of fier, that ben kyndlid. 11 Smoke cometh forth of hise nosethirlis, as of a pot set on the fier `and boilynge. 12 His breeth makith colis to brenne, and flawme goith out of his mouth. 13 Strengthe schal dwelle in his necke, and nedynesse schal go bifor his face. 14 The membris of hise fleischis ben cleuynge togidere to hem silf; God schal sende floodis ayens hym, and tho schulen not be borun to an other place. 15 His herte schal be maad hard as a stoon; and it schal be streyned togidere as the anefeld of a smith. 16 Whanne he schal be takun awei, aungels schulen drede; and thei aferd schulen be purgid. 17 Whanne swerd takith hym, it may not stonde, nethir spere, nether haburioun. 18 For he schal arette irun as chaffis, and bras as rotun tre. 19 A man archere schal not dryue hym awei; stoonys of a slynge ben turned in to stobil to hym. 20 He schal arette an hamer as stobil; and he schal scorne a florischynge spere. 21 The beemys of the sunne schulen be vndur hym; and he schal strewe to hym silf gold as cley. 22 He schal make the depe se to buyle as a pot; and he schal putte, as whanne oynementis buylen. 23 A path schal schyne aftir hym; he schal gesse the greet occian as wexynge eld. 24 No power is on erthe, that schal be comparisound to hym; which is maad, that he schulde drede noon. 25 He seeth al hiy thing; he is kyng ouer alle the sones of pride. CAP 42. 1 Forsothe Joob answeride to the Lord, and seide, 2 Y woot, that thou maist alle thingis, and no thouyt is hid fro thee [Note: Joob wiste wel, that in remembringe his riytfulnesse he suffride sum stiring of veynglorie, which is wont to come liytly in siche thingis, yhe, in men that ben perfit. in preisinge my riytfulnesse. in enqueringe ouer myche the resouns of Goddis domes. ]. 3 Who is this, that helith counsel with out kunnyng? Therfor Y spak vnwiseli, and tho thingis that passiden ouer mesure my kunnyng. 4 Here thou, and Y schal speke; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me. 5 Bi heryng of eere Y herde thee, but now myn iye seeth thee. 6 Therfor Y repreue me, and do penaunce in deed sparcle and aische. 7 Forsothe aftir that the Lord spak these wordis to Joob, he seide to Eliphat Themanytes, My stronge veniaunce is wrooth ayens thee, and ayens thi twey frendis [Note: God seith not ayenus Helyu, ether ayenus Joob; for whi to do synne bi presumpcioun, ether bi vnwar speking, as Helyu and Joob diden, is not so greuouse synne as to do synne bi afermyng of falsnesse, which bifelde to these thre men. for he synnede liytly, and dide penaunce therfor perfitly. ]; for ye `spaken not bifor me riytful thing, as my seruaunt Joob dide. 8 Therfor take ye to you seuene bolis, and seuene rammes; and go ye to my seruaunt Joob, and offre ye brent sacrifice for you. Forsothe Joob, my seruaunt, schal preie for you; Y schal resseyue his face, that foli be not arettid to you [Note: to euerlastinge peyne. ]; for ye `spaken not bifor me riytful thing, as my seruaunt Joob dide. 9 Therfor Eliphat Themanytes, and Baldach Suythes, and Sophar Naamathites, yeden, and diden, as the Lord hedde spoke to hem; and the Lord resseyuede the face of Joob. 10 Also the Lord was conuertid to the penaunce of Joob, whanne he preiede for hise frendis. And the Lord addide alle thingis double, whiche euere weren of Joob. 11 Sotheli alle hise britheren, and alle hise sistris, and alle that knewen hym bifore, camen to hym; and thei eeten breed with hym in his hows, and moueden the heed on hym; and thei coumfortiden hym of al the yuel, which the Lord hadde brouyt in on hym; and thei yauen to hym ech man o scheep, and o goldun eere ring. 12 Forsothe the Lord blesside the laste thingis of Joob, more than the bigynnyng of hym; and fouretene thousynde of scheep weren maad to hym, and sixe thousinde of camels, and a thousynde yockis of oxis, and a thousynde femal assis. 13 And he hadde seuene sones [Note: the formere sones and douytris weren in the weye of saluacioun, and so not deed outirly. ], and thre douytris; and he clepide the name of o douytir Dai, and the name of the secounde douytir Cassia, and the name of the thridde douytir `An horn of wymmens oynement. 14 `Sotheli no wymmen weren foundun so faire in al erthe, as the douytris of Joob; and her fadir yaf eritage to hem among her britheren. 15 Forsothe Joob lyuede aftir these betyngis an hundrid and fourti yeer, and `siy hise sones, and the sones of hise sones, `til to the fourthe generacioun; and he was deed eld, and ful of daies.