Content

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.