Job 29
1 Job mah a thuih ih patahhaih lok to patomh poe;
Job spoke again,
2 aw kai loe kalaem tangcae khrah, Sithaw mah khetzawnhaih ni thuem ih baktiah om let nasoe;
“I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.
3 ka lu nuiah angmah ih hmaithawk to paang moe, anih aanghaih hoiah khoving thungah kam kaeh;
During those years, [it was as though] God’s lamp [MET] shone on me and gave me light while I walked in the darkness.
4 ka qoengh li nathuem ih aninawk baktih, ka im ah Sithaw angkomhaih oh nathuem ih aninawk baktiah om let nasoe;
At that time I was young and strong, and because God was my friend, [he protected] [PRS] my tent.
5 lensawk Sithaw kai khaeah oh moe, ka caanawk hoi nawnto oh o;
Almighty [God] was with me during those years when all my children were around me.
6 maitaw tahnutui hoiah khok to ka pasaeh, thlung thung hoiah situi to tui baktiah long;
[My herds] provided me with plenty of milk, and streams of oil flowed from the rock where my olives were pressed.
7 vangpui khongkha ah ka caeh moe, lampui ah kang hnut,
“Whenever I went to [the place where the elders gathered at] the city gate, I sat down with them,
8 thendoengnawk mah kai ang hnuk o naah, anghawk o ving; mitongnawk loe angthawk o moe, angdoet o.
and when the young men saw me, they stepped aside [respectfully], and the old men [also] stood [respectfully].
9 Angraengnawk loe lokthui o ai, pakha to ban hoiah tamuep o.
The leaders of the people stopped talking [DOU],
10 Toksah angraengnawk doeh lok apae o ai, palai to angsumh o.
and even the most important men became quiet and ceased talking [MTY] [in order to hear me speak to them].
11 Naa mah ka lok thaih naah, kai han tahamhoihaih ang paek; mik mah kai hnuk naah, kai hnukung ah oh;
When they [SYN] all heard [what I told them], they said good things about me. When they [SYN] saw me (OR, what I had done), they 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 had helped the poor people when they cried out for help and I aided/helped orphans who had no one else to help them.
13 Kadueh tom kami mah tahamhoihaih ang paek moe, lamhmai to anghoehaih laasak hanah palung kang hoesak.
Those who were suffering and about to die praised [PRS] me, and I caused widows [SYN] to sing joyfully, [because of my helping them].
14 Toenghaih to khukbuen ah kang khuk, ka toenghaih loe kahni baktih, lumuek baktiah oh.
I always acted justly; my continually doing that was like [MET] a robe that I wore and a turban [that was wrapped around my head].
15 Mikmaengnawk hanah mik ah ka oh moe, khokkhaem kaminawk hanah khok ah ka oh.
[It was as though] [MET] I was eyes for blind people and feet for people who were lame.
16 Amtang kaminawk hanah ampa ah ka oh moe, angvinnawk ih lok ka tahngaih pae.
I was [like] [MET] a father to poor people, and in courts I defended those who were strangers.
17 Kasae kaminawk ih ano to ka khaeh pae moe, anih mah kaek ih kaminawk to ka pahlong.
My causing wicked people [to be unable to continue oppressing others was like] [MET] breaking the fangs [of fierce wild animals] and forcing them to drop from their teeth/mouths the animals that they had caught/seized.
18 To pacoengah, ka hinghaih aninawk loe savuet baktiah pop, kai loe kaimah ih im ah ni ka dueh tih.
“At that time I thought, ‘Surely I will live securely, until I am very old [SIM], and I will die at home [with my family].’
19 Kai ih tangzun loe tui taengah pha ueloe, aqum puek ka tanghang nuiah dantui angbuem tih.
I was [like a tree] [MET] whose roots reach down into the water and whose branches become wet with dew each night.
20 Ka lensawkhaih loe cak poe ueloe, ka ban ih kalii doeh tha om let tih.
People always honored me, and I was always [strong like] [MET] a new bow.
21 Kaminawk mah ka lok to tahngaih o, ka thuih ih lok to aek o ai.
“When I spoke, people waited to hear [what I would say] and remained silent until I advised them [what they should do].
22 Lok ka thuih pacoengah, mi doeh lok apae o ai boeh; ka thuih ih lok loe nihcae nuiah tui baktiah ca.
After I finished speaking, they did not say any more; [it was as though] [MET] my words fell on their ears [like refreshing drops of rain].
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 [to speak] like they wait for rain; they [appreciated what I said] like [MET] [farmers appreciate] the final rain in the spring [before the dry season].
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.
When they were discouraged, I smiled at them [to encourage them]; they became encouraged when they saw that I approved of them.
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 was their leader, and I decided what things [would be good for them to do]; I was among them like [SIM] a king who is among his troops; I was like someone who comforts [others] who are mourning.”
