Job 29
1 Job mah a thuih ih patahhaih lok to patomh poe;
And Job continued his discourse:
2 aw kai loe kalaem tangcae khrah, Sithaw mah khetzawnhaih ni thuem ih baktiah om let nasoe;
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
3 ka lu nuiah angmah ih hmaithawk to paang moe, anih aanghaih hoiah khoving thungah kam kaeh;
when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
4 ka qoengh li nathuem ih aninawk baktih, ka im ah Sithaw angkomhaih oh nathuem ih aninawk baktiah om let nasoe;
when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
5 lensawk Sithaw kai khaeah oh moe, ka caanawk hoi nawnto oh o;
when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
6 maitaw tahnutui hoiah khok to ka pasaeh, thlung thung hoiah situi to tui baktiah long;
when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 vangpui khongkha ah ka caeh moe, lampui ah kang hnut,
When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
8 thendoengnawk mah kai ang hnuk o naah, anghawk o ving; mitongnawk loe angthawk o moe, angdoet o.
the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
9 Angraengnawk loe lokthui o ai, pakha to ban hoiah tamuep o.
The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
10 Toksah angraengnawk doeh lok apae o ai, palai to angsumh o.
The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
11 Naa mah ka lok thaih naah, kai han tahamhoihaih ang paek; mik mah kai hnuk naah, kai hnukung ah oh;
For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
12 tipongah tih nahaeloe amtang kami, amno ampa tawn ai kami, bomkung tawn ai kami hang naah ka bomh pongah ni.
because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
13 Kadueh tom kami mah tahamhoihaih ang paek moe, lamhmai to anghoehaih laasak hanah palung kang hoesak.
The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 Toenghaih to khukbuen ah kang khuk, ka toenghaih loe kahni baktih, lumuek baktiah oh.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
15 Mikmaengnawk hanah mik ah ka oh moe, khokkhaem kaminawk hanah khok ah ka oh.
I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
16 Amtang kaminawk hanah ampa ah ka oh moe, angvinnawk ih lok ka tahngaih pae.
I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
17 Kasae kaminawk ih ano to ka khaeh pae moe, anih mah kaek ih kaminawk to ka pahlong.
I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
18 To pacoengah, ka hinghaih aninawk loe savuet baktiah pop, kai loe kaimah ih im ah ni ka dueh tih.
So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
19 Kai ih tangzun loe tui taengah pha ueloe, aqum puek ka tanghang nuiah dantui angbuem tih.
My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
20 Ka lensawkhaih loe cak poe ueloe, ka ban ih kalii doeh tha om let tih.
My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 Kaminawk mah ka lok to tahngaih o, ka thuih ih lok to aek o ai.
Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
22 Lok ka thuih pacoengah, mi doeh lok apae o ai boeh; ka thuih ih lok loe nihcae nuiah tui baktiah ca.
After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
23 Nihcae mah khotui zing o baktih toengah kai to ang zing o, hnukkhuem ih khotui kazing baktiah pakha to kalen ah a angh o.
They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
24 Nihcae ka pahnui thuih naah, nihcae mah tang o ai; ka mikhmai aanghaih to a hnuk o naah, ka mikhmai aanghaih to anghmaa o sak thai ai.
If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
25 Nihcae ih loklam to ka qoih moe, kahoih koek ahmuen ah kang hnut, palungsae kami pathloepkung baktih, misatuh kaminawk salak ih siangpahrang baktiah kang hnut, tiah ka thuih.
I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.
