Job 29
1 Job mah a thuih ih patahhaih lok to patomh poe;
Job again took up his parable, and said,
2 aw kai loe kalaem tangcae khrah, Sithaw mah khetzawnhaih ni thuem ih baktiah om let nasoe;
“Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in 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 on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 ka qoengh li nathuem ih aninawk baktih, ka im ah Sithaw angkomhaih oh nathuem ih aninawk baktiah om let nasoe;
as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
5 lensawk Sithaw kai khaeah oh moe, ka caanawk hoi nawnto oh o;
when the Almighty was yet 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 washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
7 vangpui khongkha ah ka caeh moe, lampui ah kang hnut,
when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
8 thendoengnawk mah kai ang hnuk o naah, anghawk o ving; mitongnawk loe angthawk o moe, angdoet o.
The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
9 Angraengnawk loe lokthui o ai, pakha to ban hoiah tamuep o.
The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 Toksah angraengnawk doeh lok apae o ai, palai to angsumh o.
The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 Naa mah ka lok thaih naah, kai han tahamhoihaih ang paek; mik mah kai hnuk naah, kai hnukung ah oh;
For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it 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 delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
13 Kadueh tom kami mah tahamhoihaih ang paek moe, lamhmai to anghoehaih laasak hanah palung kang hoesak.
the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to 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. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
15 Mikmaengnawk hanah mik ah ka oh moe, khokkhaem kaminawk hanah khok ah ka oh.
I was eyes to the blind, and 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. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
17 Kasae kaminawk ih ano to ka khaeh pae moe, anih mah kaek ih kaminawk to ka pahlong.
I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 To pacoengah, ka hinghaih aninawk loe savuet baktiah pop, kai loe kaimah ih im ah ni ka dueh tih.
Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
19 Kai ih tangzun loe tui taengah pha ueloe, aqum puek ka tanghang nuiah dantui angbuem tih.
My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
20 Ka lensawkhaih loe cak poe ueloe, ka ban ih kalii doeh tha om let tih.
My glory is fresh in me. 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, waited, and kept silence 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 didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
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 the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
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.
I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
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 out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
