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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.<sup>9</sup> Men of long lijf ben not wise, and elde men vndurstonden not doom.<sup>10</sup> Therfor Y schal seie, Here ye me, and Y also schal schewe my kunnyng to you.<sup>11</sup> For Y abood youre wordis, Y herde youre prudence, as long as ye dispuytiden in youre wordis.<sup>12</sup> 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.<sup>19</sup> 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.