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Joob answeride, and seide, Verili Y woot, that it is so,

If he axith sodeynli, who schal answere to hym? ethir who may seie to hym, Whi doist thou so?

Whanne Y seie, Y schal not speke so; Y chaunge my face, and Y am turmentid with sorewe.

Y schal seie to God, Nyle thou condempne me; schewe thou to me, whi thou demest me so.

Thin hondis han maad me, and han formed me al in cumpas; and thou castist me doun so sodeynli.

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?

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.

And `Y wolde, that a man were demed so with God, as the sone of man is demed with his felowe.

`Til to what ende schalt thou booste with wordis? Vndurstonde thou first, and so speke we.

His stronge veniaunce was wrooth ayens me; and he hadde me so as his enemye.

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.

If the morewtid apperith sudeynli, thei demen the schadewe of deth; and so thei goon in derknessis as in liyt.

That if it is not so, who may repreue me, that Y liede, and putte my wordis bifor God?

Whether he that loueth not doom may be maad hool? and hou condempnest thou so myche him, that is iust?

Whether he, that stryueth with God, schal haue rest so liytli? Sotheli he, that repreueth God, owith for to answere to hym.

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.

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;

`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.

Not so wickid men, not so; but thei ben as dust, which the wynd castith awei fro the face of erthe.

I pleside so as oure neiybore, as oure brother; Y was `maad meke so as morenynge and sorewful.