Job 29
1 Job went on speaking.
ἔτι δὲ προσθεὶς Ιωβ εἶπεν τῷ προοιμίῳ
2 “I wish I was back in the old days when God looked after me!
τίς ἄν με θείη κατὰ μῆνα ἔμπροσθεν ἡμερῶν ὧν με ὁ θεὸς ἐφύλαξεν
3 His light shone above me and lit my way through the darkness.
ὡς ὅτε ηὔγει ὁ λύχνος αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς μου ὅτε τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπορευόμην ἐν σκότει
4 When I was young and strong, God was my friend and spoke to me in my home.
ὅτε ἤμην ἐπιβρίθων ὁδοῖς ὅτε ὁ θεὸς ἐπισκοπὴν ἐποιεῖτο τοῦ οἴκου μου
5 The Almighty was still with me and I was surrounded with my children.
ὅτε ἤμην ὑλώδης λίαν κύκλῳ δέ μου οἱ παῖδες
6 My herds produced much milk, and oil flowed freely from my olive presses.
ὅτε ἐχέοντό μου αἱ ὁδοὶ βουτύρῳ τὰ δὲ ὄρη μου ἐχέοντο γάλακτι
7 I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square.
ὅτε ἐξεπορευόμην ὄρθριος ἐν πόλει ἐν δὲ πλατείαις ἐτίθετό μου ὁ δίφρος
8 The young men saw me and moved out of the way; the elders would stand up for me.
ἰδόντες με νεανίσκοι ἐκρύβησαν πρεσβῦται δὲ πάντες ἔστησαν
9 The leaders remained silent and covered their mouths with their hands.
ἁδροὶ δὲ ἐπαύσαντο λαλοῦντες δάκτυλον ἐπιθέντες ἐπὶ στόματι
10 The voices of the officials were hushed; they held their tongues in my presence.
οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐμακάρισάν με καὶ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν τῷ λάρυγγι αὐτῶν ἐκολλήθη
11 Everyone who listened to me praised me; whoever saw me commended me,
ὅτι οὖς ἤκουσεν καὶ ἐμακάρισέν με ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ ἰδών με ἐξέκλινεν
12 because I gave to the poor who called out to me and the orphans who had no one to help them.
διέσωσα γὰρ πτωχὸν ἐκ χειρὸς δυνάστου καὶ ὀρφανῷ ᾧ οὐκ ἦν βοηθός ἐβοήθησα
13 Those who were about to die blessed me; I made the widow sing for joy.
εὐλογία ἀπολλυμένου ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἔλθοι στόμα δὲ χήρας με εὐλόγησεν
14 Being true and acting right were what I wore for clothing.
δικαιοσύνην δὲ ἐνεδεδύκειν ἠμφιασάμην δὲ κρίμα ἴσα διπλοΐδι
15 I was like eyes for the blind and feet for the lame.
ὀφθαλμὸς ἤμην τυφλῶν ποὺς δὲ χωλῶν
16 I was like a father to the poor, and I defended the rights of strangers.
ἐγὼ ἤμην πατὴρ ἀδυνάτων δίκην δέ ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειν ἐξιχνίασα
17 I broke the jaw of the wicked and made them drop their prey from their teeth.
συνέτριψα δὲ μύλας ἀδίκων ἐκ δὲ μέσου τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτῶν ἅρπαγμα ἐξέσπασα
18 I thought I would die at home, after many years.
εἶπα δέ ἡ ἡλικία μου γηράσει ὥσπερ στέλεχος φοίνικος πολὺν χρόνον βιώσω
19 Like a tree my roots spread out to the water; the dew rests on my branches overnight.
ἡ ῥίζα μου διήνοικται ἐπὶ ὕδατος καὶ δρόσος αὐλισθήσεται ἐν τῷ θερισμῷ μου
20 Fresh honors were always being given to me; my strength was renewed like an unfailing bow.
ἡ δόξα μου καινὴ μετ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ τὸ τόξον μου ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ πορεύσεται
21 People listened carefully to what I had to say; they kept quiet as they listened to my advice.
ἐμοῦ ἀκούσαντες προσέσχον ἐσιώπησαν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμῇ βουλῇ
22 Once I had spoken they had nothing else to say; what I said was enough.
ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ἐμῷ ῥήματι οὐ προσέθεντο περιχαρεῖς δὲ ἐγίνοντο ὁπόταν αὐτοῖς ἐλάλουν
23 They waited for me like people waiting for rain; their mouths wide open for the spring rain.
ὥσπερ γῆ διψῶσα προσδεχομένη τὸν ὑετόν οὕτως οὗτοι τὴν ἐμὴν λαλιάν
24 When I smiled at them they could hardly believe it; my approval meant all the world to them.
ἐὰν γελάσω πρὸς αὐτούς οὐ μὴ πιστεύσωσιν καὶ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου μου οὐκ ἀπέπιπτεν
25 I decided the way forward as their leader, living like a king among his soldiers, and when they were sad I comforted them.
ἐξελεξάμην ὁδὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκάθισα ἄρχων καὶ κατεσκήνουν ὡσεὶ βασιλεὺς ἐν μονοζώνοις ὃν τρόπον παθεινοὺς παρακαλῶν
