Great(i)
1 Then answered Eliphas the Themanite, and said:
2 Shal a wyse mans answer be the scyence of the wynde, and fil any mans Bely as it were with the wynde of the east?
3 Shal he reproue wt a word, that is nothyng worth: and speake the thinges, which can do no good?
4 As for shame, thou hast sett it asyde, elles woldest thou not make so many wordes before God:
5 but thy wyckednesse teacheth thy mouth, and so thou hast chosen the a craftye tonge.
6 Thyne awne mouth condempneth the, and not I: yee, thyne awne lyppes shape an answer agaynst the.
7 Art thou the fyrste man, that euer was borne? Or, wast thou made before the hylles?
8 hast thou hearde the secrete councell of God, that all wysdome is to lytle for the?
9 What knowest thou, that we knowe not? And what vnderstandest thou, but we can the same?
10 With vs are both olde and aged men, yee, soch as haue lyued longer then thy father.
11 Thynckest thou it a small thynge of the consolacyons of God? with the is a lyenge word.
12 Why doth thyne hert so be wytch the? And wherfore wynckest thou wyth thyne eyes,
13 that thy mynde is so puft vp agaynst God, and lettest soch wordes go oute of thy mouth?
14 What is man, that he shulde be cleane? what hath he (which is borne of a woman) wherby he myght be righteous?
15 Behold, he doth not trust hys saynctes: yee, the very heauens are not cleane in hys syght.
16 Howe moch more then an abhomynable and vyle man, which drincketh wickednesse lyke water?
17 I wyll tell the, heare me: and I wyll shewe the that I haue sene:
18 which wyse men haue tolde, and hath not bene hyd from their fathers
19 vnto whom onely the earthe was geuen, and no straunger went amonge them.
20 The vngodly soroweth all the dayes of hys lyfe as it were a woman with a childe, and the nombre of a tyrauntes yeares is vnknowne.
21 A fearfull sounde is euer in hys eares, and when it is peace, yet feareth he destruccyon.
22 He beleueth neuer to be delyuered oute of darckenes, for the swearde is alwaye before hys eyes.
23 When he goeth forth to get his lyuying, he seeth plainely, that the daye of darcknesse is at hande.
24 Sorowe and carefulnesse wyll make hym afrayed, and compasse hym rounde aboute, lyke as it were a kynge with hys hoost ready to the batayll.
25 For he hath stretched out hys hande agaynst God, and armed hym selfe agaynst the almyghtye,
26 He runneth proudly vpon hym, and with a styff necke fyghteth he agaynst hym:
27 where as he couereth hys face with fatnesse, and maketh hys body well lykynge.
28 Therfore shall hys dwellynge be in desolate cyties, and in houses which no man inhabyteth, but are become heapes of stones.
29 He shall not be riche, nether shall hys substaunce contynue, ner encrease vpon earthe.
30 He shall neuer come oute of darcknesse, the flame shall drye vp hys braunches: with the blast of the mouth of God shall he be taken awaye.
31 He beleueth not that he is in vanyte, and yet he is out of the waye, and vanyte shalbe hys recompence.
32 He shall perysh, afore hys tyme be worne out, and hys braunche shall not be grene.
33 He shalbe pluckt of as an vntymely grape from the vyne, & shall lett his floure fall, as the olyue doth.
34 For the congregacyyon of ypocrites shalbe desolate and vnfrutefull, and the fyre shall consume the houses of soch as are gredy to receaue giftes.
35 He conceaueth trauayle, and beareth vanyte, and theyr bodye bryngeth forth disceate.