Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
Ka naʻe fai ai pe ʻe Siope ʻene lea mamafa, ʻo ne pehē,
2 “Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
“Taumaiā kuo u tatau eni mo e ngaahi māhina kuo hili ange, ʻo hangē ko e ngaahi ʻaho naʻe maluʻi ai au ʻe he ʻOtua;
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
ʻI he kei ulo ʻa ʻene maama ki hoku ʻulu, pea u ʻalu mo ʻene maama ʻi he fakapoʻuli;
4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
ʻO hangē ko ʻeku nofo ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻeku monūʻia, ʻi he fakataha ʻae kakai ʻoe ʻOtua ʻi hoku fale;
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
ʻI he kei ʻiate au ʻae Māfimafi, pea ʻiate au mo ʻeku fānau;
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
ʻI he tafe ʻae pota ʻi hoku hala, pea lilingi mai ʻe he maka ʻae lolo lahi ʻaupito;
7 when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
ʻI heʻeku ʻalu atu ʻi he loto kolo ki he matapā, pea teuʻi hoku nofoʻanga ʻi he hala lahi!
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
Naʻe sio kiate au ʻae kau talavou, ʻonau toitoi: pea tutuʻu ki ʻolunga ʻae kau mātuʻa.
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
Naʻe taʻofi ʻe he ngaahi ʻeiki ʻenau alea, ʻo ʻai honau nima ki honau ngutu.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
Naʻe longo pe ʻae houʻeiki, pea piki honau ʻelelo ki honau ʻoʻaoʻingutu.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
ʻI he ongoʻi au ʻe he telinga, ne ne tāpuakiʻi au; pea ʻi he mamata ʻae mata kiate au, naʻa ne fakamoʻoniʻi au:
12 because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
He naʻaku fakahaofia ʻae masiva naʻe tangi, ʻae tamai mate, mo ia naʻe ʻikai hano tokoni.
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
Ko e tāpuaki ʻo ia naʻe meimei mate ne hoko kiate au: pea naʻaku fakafiefiaʻi ke hiva ʻae loto ʻoe fefine kuo mate hono husepāniti.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
Ne u ai ʻae māʻoniʻoni, pea ne ʻufiʻufi ʻaki au: naʻe tatau ʻeku fakamaau mo e pulupulu mo e pale.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
Ko e mata au ki he kui, mo e vaʻe ki he ketu.
16 I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I did not know.
Ko e tamai au ki he masiva: pea ko e meʻa naʻe ʻikai te u ʻiloʻi ne u kumi lahi ki ai.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
Naʻaku fesiʻi ʻae kouʻahe ʻoe fai kovi, ʻo toʻo ʻae meʻa faʻao mei hono nifo.
18 Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
Pea u toki pehē, ‘Te u mate ʻi hoku pununga, pea te u fakalahi hoku ngaahi ʻaho ke hangē ko e ʻoneʻone.
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
Naʻe mafola hoku aka ʻi he ngaahi veʻe vai, pea toka ʻae hahau ki hoku vaʻa ʻi he pō kotoa.
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
Ko hoku ongoongolelei naʻe maʻuiʻui pe, pea naʻe fakafoʻou ʻeku kaufana ʻi hoku nima.’
21 “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
“Naʻe fakafanongo ʻae kakai kiate au, ʻo tatali, pea fakalongo pē ʻi heʻeku akonaki.
22 After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.
Hili ʻeku lea naʻe ʻikai te nau tali; pea naʻe tō ʻeku lea kiate kinautolu.
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
Pea naʻa nau tatali kiate au ʻo hangē ki he ʻuha: pea nau fakamanga lahi honau ngutu ʻo hangē ki he ʻuha mui.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.
Ne u kata kiate kinautolu, pea ʻikai te nau faʻa tui; pea ko e maama ʻo hoku mata naʻe ʻikai ke nau lī ki lalo.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
Naʻaku fili honau hala, ʻo nofo ko e ʻeiki, ne u nofo ʻo hangē ha tuʻi ʻi he kautau, pea hangē ha taha ʻoku ne fakafiemālieʻi ʻae kakai mamahi.
