< Job 29 >

1 And Job continued his parable and said,
וַיֹּסֶף אִיּוֹב שְׂאֵת מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
מִֽי־יִתְּנֵנִי כְיַרְחֵי־קֶדֶם כִּימֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵֽנִי׃
3 When his lamp shone over my head, [and] by his light I walked through darkness;
בְּהִלּוֹ נֵרוֹ עֲלֵי רֹאשִׁי לְאוֹרוֹ אֵלֶךְ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret counsel of God was over my tent,
כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי בִּימֵי חָרְפִּי בְּסוֹד אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵי אָהֳלִֽי׃
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me;
בְּעוֹד שַׁדַּי עִמָּדִי סְבִיבוֹתַי נְעָרָֽי׃
6 When my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! ...
בִּרְחֹץ הֲלִיכַי בְּחֵמָה וְצוּר יָצוּק עִמָּדִי פַּלְגֵי־שָֽׁמֶן׃
7 When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,
בְּצֵאתִי שַׁעַר עֲלֵי־קָרֶת בָּרְחוֹב אָכִין מוֹשָׁבִֽי׃
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged arose [and] stood up;
רָאוּנִי נְעָרִים וְנֶחְבָּאוּ וִֽישִׁישִׁים קָמוּ עָמָֽדוּ׃
9 Princes refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth;
שָׂרִים עָצְרוּ בְמִלִּים וְכַף יָשִׂימוּ לְפִיהֶֽם׃
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
קוֹל־נְגִידִים נֶחְבָּאוּ וּלְשׁוֹנָם לְחִכָּם דָּבֵֽקָה׃
11 When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me, and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me;
כִּי אֹזֶן שָׁמְעָה וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵנִי וְעַיִן רָאֲתָה וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃
12 For I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper.
כִּֽי־אֲמַלֵּט עָנִי מְשַׁוֵּעַ וְיָתוֹם וְֽלֹא־עֹזֵר לֽוֹ׃
13 The blessing of him that was perishing came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד עָלַי תָּבֹא וְלֵב אַלְמָנָה אַרְנִֽן׃
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was as a mantle and a turban.
צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי כִּֽמְעִיל וְצָנִיף מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame;
עֵינַיִם הָיִיתִי לַֽעִוֵּר וְרַגְלַיִם לַפִּסֵּחַ אָֽנִי׃
16 I was a father to the needy, and the cause which I knew not I searched out;
אָב אָנֹכִֽי לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִים וְרִב לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵֽהוּ׃
17 And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
וָֽאֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּעוֹת עַוָּל וּמִשִּׁנָּיו אַשְׁלִיךְ טָֽרֶף׃
18 And I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;
וָאֹמַר עִם־קִנִּי אֶגְוָע וְכַחוֹל אַרְבֶּה יָמִֽים׃
19 My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew will lie all night on my branch;
שָׁרְשִׁי פָתוּחַ אֱלֵי־מָיִם וְטַל יָלִין בִּקְצִירֽ͏ִי׃
20 My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow be renewed in my hand.
כְּבוֹדִי חָדָשׁ עִמָּדִי וְקַשְׁתִּי בְּיָדִי תַחֲלִֽיף׃
21 Unto me they listened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel:
לִֽי־שָׁמְעוּ וְיִחֵלּוּ וְיִדְּמוּ לְמוֹ עֲצָתִֽי׃
22 After my words they spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them;
אַחֲרֵי דְבָרִי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ וְעָלֵימוֹ תִּטֹּף מִלָּתִֽי׃
23 And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
וְיִֽחֲלוּ כַמָּטָר לִי וּפִיהֶם פָּעֲרוּ לְמַלְקֽוֹשׁ׃
24 [If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.
אֶשְׂחַק אֲלֵהֶם לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ וְאוֹר פָּנַי לֹא יַפִּילֽוּן׃
25 I chose their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth mourners.
אֶֽבֲחַר דַּרְכָּם וְאֵשֵׁב רֹאשׁ וְאֶשְׁכּוֹן כְּמֶלֶךְ בַּגְּדוּד כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵֽם׃

< Job 29 >