1 Forsothe Eliphat Themanytes answeride, and seide,
2 Whether a man, yhe, whanne he is of perfit kunnyng, mai be comparisound to God?
3 What profitith it to God, if thou art iust? ethir what schalt thou yyue to hym, if thi lijf is without wem?
4 Whether he schal drede, and schal repreue thee, and schal come with thee in to doom,
5 and not for thi ful myche malice, and thi wickidnessis with out noumbre, `these peynes bifelden iustli to thee?
6 For thou hast take awei with out cause the wed of thi britheren; and hast spuylid nakid men of clothis.
7 Thou yauest not watir to the feynt man; and thou withdrowist breed fro the hungri man.
8 In the strengthe of thin arm thou haddist the lond in possessioun; and thou moost myyti heldist it.
9 Thou leftist widewis voide; and al to-brakist the schuldris of fadirles children.
10 Therfor thou art cumpassid with snaris; and sodeyn drede disturblith thee.
11 And thou gessidist, that thou schuldist not se derknessis; and that thou schuldist not be oppressid with the fersnesse of watris flowyng.
12 Whether thou thenkist, that God is hiyere than heuene, and is enhaunsid aboue the coppe of sterris?
13 And thou seist, What sotheli knowith God? and, He demeth as bi derknesse.
14 A cloude is his hidyng place, and he biholdith not oure thingis, and he `goith aboute the herris of heuene.
15 Whether thou coueitist to kepe the path of worldis, which wickid men han ofte go?
16 Whiche weren takun awei bifor her tyme, and the flood distriede the foundement of hem.
17 Whiche seiden to God, Go thou awei fro vs; and as if Almyyti God may do no thing, thei gessiden hym,
18 whanne he hadde fillid her housis with goodis; the sentence of whiche men be fer fro me.
19 Iust men schulen se, and schulen be glad; and an innocent man schal scorne hem.
20 Whether the reisyng of hem is not kit doun, and fier schal deuoure the relifs of hem?
21 Therfor assente thou to God, and haue thou pees; and bi these thingis thou schalt haue best fruytis.
22 Take thou the lawe of his mouth, and sette thou hise wordis in thin herte.
23 If thou turnest ayen to Almyyti God, thou schalt be bildid; and thou schalt make wickidnesse fer fro thi tabernacle.
24 He schal yyue a flynt for erthe, and goldun strondis for a flynt.
25 And Almyyti God schal be ayens thin enemyes; and siluer schal be gaderid togidere to thee.
26 Thanne on Almyyti God thou schalt flowe with delicis; and thou schalt reise thi face to God.
27 Thou schalt preye hym, and he schal here thee; and thou schalt yelde thi vowis.
28 Thou schalt deme a thing, and it schal come to thee; and lyyt schal schyne in thi weies.
29 For he that is mekid, schal be in glorie; and he that bowith doun hise iyen, schal be saued.
30 An innocent schal be saued; sotheli he schal be saued in the clennesse of hise hondis.