1 Forsothe the Lord answeride fro the whirlewynd to Joob,
2 and seide, Who is this man, wlappynge sentences with vnwise wordis?
3 Girde thou as a man thi leendis; Y schal axe thee, and answere thou to me.
4 Where were thou, whanne Y settide the foundementis of erthe? schewe thou to me, if thou hast vndurstondyng.
5 Who settide mesures therof, if thou knowist? ethir who stretchide forth a lyne theronne?
6 On what thing ben the foundementis therof maad fast? ether who sente doun the corner stoon therof,
7 whanne the morew sterris herieden me togidere, and alle the sones of God sungun ioyfuli?
8 Who closide togidere the see with doris, whanne it brak out comynge forth as of the wombe?
9 Whanne Y settide a cloude the hilyng therof, and Y wlappide it with derknesse, as with clothis of yong childhed.
10 Y cumpasside it with my termes, and Y settide a barre, and doris;
11 and Y seide, `Til hidur thou schalt come, and thou schalt not go forth ferthere; and here thou schalt breke togidere thi bolnynge wawis.
12 Whethir aftir thi birthe thou comaundist to the bigynnyng of dai, and schewidist to the morewtid his place?
13 Whethir thou heldist schakynge togidere the laste partis of erthe, and schakedist awei wickid men therfro?
14 A seeling schal be restorid as cley, and it schal stonde as a cloth.
15 The liyt of wickid men schal be takun awey fro hem, and an hiy arm schal be brokun.
16 Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see, and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian?
17 Whether the yatis of deeth ben openyd to thee, and `siest thou the derk doris?
18 Whethir thou hast biholde the brede of erthe? Schewe thou to me, if thou knowist alle thingis,
19 in what weie the liyt dwellith, and which is the place of derknesse;
20 that thou lede ech thing to hise termes, and thou vndurstonde the weies of his hows.
21 Wistist thou thanne, that thou schuldist be borun, and knew thou the noumbre of thi daies?
22 Whethir thou entridist in to the tresours of snow, ether biheldist thou the tresours of hail?
23 whiche thingis Y made redy in to the tyme of an enemy, in to the dai of fiytyng and of batel.
24 Bi what weie is the liyt spred abrood, heete is departid on erthe?
25 Who yaf cours to the strongeste reyn,
26 and weie of the thundur sownynge? That it schulde reyne on the erthe with out man in desert, where noon of deedli men dwellith?
27 That it schulde fille a lond with out weie and desolat, and schulde brynge forth greene eerbis?
28 Who is fadir of reyn, ether who gendride the dropis of deew?
29 Of whos wombe yede out iys, and who gendride frost fro heuene?
30 Watris ben maad hard in the licnesse of stoon, and the ouer part of occian is streyned togidere.
31 Whether thou schalt mowe ioyne togidere schynynge sterris Pliades, ethir thou schalt mowe distrie the cumpas of Arturis?
32 Whether thou bryngist forth Lucifer, `that is, dai sterre, in his tyme, and makist euene sterre to rise on the sones of erthe?
33 Whether thou knowist the ordre of heuene, and schalt sette the resoun therof in erthe?
34 Whethir thou schalt reise thi vois in to a cloude, and the fersnesse of watris schal hile thee?
35 Whethir thou schalt sende leitis, and tho schulen go, and tho schulen turne ayen, and schulen seie to thee, We ben present?
36 Who puttide wisdoom in the entrailis of man, ethir who yaf vndurstondyng to the cok?
37 Who schal telle out the resoun of heuenes, and who schal make acordyng of heuene to sleep?
38 Whanne dust was foundid in the erthe, and clottis weren ioyned togidere?
39 Whether thou schalt take prey to the lionesse, and schalt fille the soulis of hir whelpis,
40 whanne tho liggen in caues, and aspien in dennes?
41 Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis?