Job 29
1 And Job again took up his discourse, and said,
Addidit quoque Job, assumens parabolam suam, et dixit:
2 O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,
Quis mihi tribuat ut sim juxta menses pristinos, secundum dies quibus Deus custodiebat me?
3 when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
Quando splendebat lucerna ejus super caput meum, et ad lumen ejus ambulabam in tenebris:
4 as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was upon my tent,
sicut fui in diebus adolescentiæ meæ, quando secreto Deus erat in tabernaculo meo:
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, and my sons were about me,
quando erat Omnipotens mecum, et in circuitu meo pueri mei:
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil to me,
quando lavabam pedes meos butyro, et petra fundebat mihi rivos olei:
7 when I went forth to the gate to the city, when I prepared my seat in the street.
quando procedebam ad portam civitatis, et in platea parabant cathedram mihi.
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood.
Videbant me juvenes, et abscondebantur: et senes assurgentes stabant.
9 The rulers refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
Principes cessabant loqui, et digitum superponebant ori suo.
10 The voice of the ranking men was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
Vocem suam cohibebant duces, et lingua eorum gutturi suo adhærebat.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.
Auris audiens beatificabat me, et oculus videns testimonium reddebat mihi:
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, also the fatherless who had none to help him.
eo quod liberassem pauperem vociferantem, et pupillum cui non esset adjutor.
13 The blessing of him who was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
Benedictio perituri super me veniebat, et cor viduæ consolatus sum.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
Justitia indutus sum, et vestivi me, sicut vestimento et diademate, judicio meo.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the lame.
Oculus fui cæco, et pes claudo.
16 I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the case of him whom I did not know.
Pater eram pauperum, et causam quam nesciebam diligentissime investigabam.
17 And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
Conterebam molas iniqui, et de dentibus illius auferebam prædam.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
Dicebamque: In nidulo meo moriar, et sicut palma multiplicabo dies.
19 My root is spread out to the waters, and the dew lays all night upon my branch.
Radix mea aperta est secus aquas, et ros morabitur in messione mea.
20 My glory is fresh in me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.
Gloria mea semper innovabitur, et arcus meus in manu mea instaurabitur.
21 To me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
Qui me audiebant, expectabant sententiam, et intenti tacebant ad consilium meum.
22 After my words they spoke not again, and my speech distilled upon them.
Verbis meis addere nihil audebant, et super illos stillabat eloquium meum.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain. And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
Expectabant me sicut pluviam, et os suum aperiebant quasi ad imbrem serotinum.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and they did not cast down the light of my countenance.
Siquando ridebam ad eos, non credebant: et lux vultus mei non cadebat in terram.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as a man who comforts the mourners.
Si voluissem ire ad eos, sedebam primus: cumque sederem quasi rex, circumstante exercitu, eram tamen mœrentium consolator.
