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[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?
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