Job 29
1 And Job continued his discourse:
約伯繼續他的言論說：
2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
誰能賜我似以前的歲月，像以往天主護守我的時日呢﹖
3 when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
那時他的燈，光照在我頭上，藉他的光明，我走過黑暗。
4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
惟願我如壯年之時，那時天主護佑我的帳幕；
5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
全能者與我相偕，我的子女環繞著我；
6 when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
那時我以奶油洗腳，崖石流油成河。
7 When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
當我走出城門，在市井設我座位之時，
8 the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
少年人看見我都迴避，老年人都起身站立；
9 The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
王侯停止講話，用手堵住自己的口；
10 The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
首領不敢出聲，舌頭緊貼上顎。
11 For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
凡有耳聽見我的，必稱我有福；凡有眼看見我的，都必稱讚我。
12 because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
因為我援助了呼救的窮人，和無依無靠的孤兒。
13 The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
那受喪亡之痛的人稱謝我，我使寡婦的心歡樂。
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
我披上正義，正義就如我衣；我的公正，猶如我的長袍和冠冕。
15 I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
我作了盲人的眼，跛者的腳。
16 I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
我成了窮人之父，我調查過素不相識者的案件。
17 I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
我打碎惡人的燎牙，由他牙齒中奪出了獵物。
18 So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
我心想：我必壽終正寢，我的壽數必如塵沙。
19 My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
我的根蔓延到水邊，夜間甘露落在我的枝葉上。
20 My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
我的榮耀不斷更新，我手中的弓日新月異。
21 Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
聽我講話的人，屏息等待，靜聽我的指教。
22 After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
我講話之後，無人再敢講話，我的話像水珠滴在他們身上。
23 They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
他們期待我如望甘霖，張著大口如渴盼春雨。
24 If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
我向他們微笑，他們不敢相信；我和善的面容，他們必不放過。
25 I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.
我為他們選擇了道路，身居前導，一如立在軍中的君王；我引他們到那裏，他們就去。
