1 Forsothe Joob answeride, and seide,
2 Y preye, here ye my wordis, and do ye penaunce.
3 Suffre ye me, that Y speke; and leiye ye aftir my wordis, if it schal seme worthi.
4 Whether my disputyng is ayens man, that skilfuli Y owe not to be sori?
5 Perseyue ye me, and be ye astonyed; and sette ye fyngur on youre mouth.
6 And whanne Y bithenke, Y drede, and tremblyng schakith my fleisch.
7 Whi therfor lyuen wickid men? Thei ben enhaunsid, and coumfortid with richessis.
8 Her seed dwellith bifor hem; the cumpeny of kynesmen, and of sones of sones dwellith in her siyt.
9 Her housis ben sikur, and pesible; and the yerde of God is not on hem.
10 The cow of hem conseyuede, and caluede not a deed calf; the cow caluyde, and is not priued of hir calf.
11 Her litle children goen out as flockis; and her yonge children `maken fulli ioye with pleies.
12 Thei holden tympan, and harpe; and ioien at the soun of orgun.
13 Thei leden in goodis her daies; and in a point thei goen doun to hellis.
14 Whiche men seiden to God, Go thou awei fro us; we nylen the kunnyng of thi weies.
15 Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him?
16 Netheles for her goodis ben not in her hond, `that is, power, the counsel of wickid men be fer fro me.
17 Hou ofte schal the lanterne of wickid men be quenchid, and flowing schal come on hem, and God schal departe the sorewis of his stronge veniaunce?
18 Thei schulen be as chaffis bifor the face of the wynd; and as a deed sparcle, whiche the whirlewynd scaterith abrood.
19 God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite.
20 Hise iyen schulen se her sleyng; and he schal drynke of the stronge veniaunce of Almyyti God.
21 For whi what perteyneth it to hym of his hows aftir hym, thouy the noumbre of his monethis be half takun awey?
22 Whether ony man schal teche God kunnyng, which demeth hem that ben hiye?
23 This yuel man dieth strong and hool, riche and blesful, `that is, myrie.
24 Hise entrails ben ful of fatnesse; and hise boonys ben moistid with merowis.
25 Sotheli anothir wickid man dieth in the bittirnesse of his soule, and with outen ony richessis.
26 And netheles thei schulen slepe togidere in dust, and wormes schulen hile hem.
27 Certis Y knowe youre wickid thouytis, and sentensis ayens me.
28 For ye seien, Where is the hows of the prince? and where ben the tabernaclis of wickid men?
29 Axe ye ech of `the weie goeris; and ye schulen knowe, that he vndurstondith these same thingis,
30 that an yuel man schal be kept in to the dai of perdicioun, and schal be led to the dai of woodnesse.
31 Who schal repreue hise weies bifor hym? and who schal yelde to hym tho thingis, whiche he hath doon?
32 He schal be led to the sepulcris; and he schal wake in the heep of deed men.
33 He was swete to the `stoonys, ether filthis, of helle; and drawith ech man aftir hym, and vnnoumbrable men bifor him.
34 Hou therfor coumforten ye me in veyn, sithen youre answeris ben schewid to `repugne to treuthe?