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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.<sup>7</sup> Which comaundith to the sunne, and it risith not; and he closith the sterris, as vndur a signet.<sup>8</sup> Which aloone stretchith forth heuenes, and goith on the wawis of the see.<sup>9</sup> 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.<sup>29</sup> Sotheli if Y am also thus wickid, whi haue Y trauelid in veyn?<sup>30</sup> Thouy Y am waischun as with watris of snow, and thouy myn hondis schynen as moost cleene,<sup>31</sup> 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.