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.