Job 29
1 And Job again took up his parable, and said:
Addidit quoque Iob, assumens parabolam suam, et dixit:
2 Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
Quis mihi tribuat, ut sim iuxta menses pristinos secundum dies, quibus Deus custodiebat me?
3 When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness;
Quando splendebat lucerna eius super caput meum, et ad lumen eius ambulabam in tenebris?
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse 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 children 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 me out rivers of oil!
Quando lavabam pedes meos butyro, et petra fundebat mihi rivos olei?
7 When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the broad place,
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 iuvenes, et abscondebantur: et senes assurgentes stabant.
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;
Principes cessabant loqui, et digitum superponebant ori suo.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved 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 unto me;
Auris audiens beatificabat me, et oculus videns testimonium reddebat mihi.
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.
Eo quod liberassem pauperem vociferantem, et pupillum, cui non esset adiutor.
13 The blessing of him that 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 itself with me; my justice was as a robe and a diadem.
Iustitia indutus sum: et vestivi me, sicut vestimento et diademate, iudicio meo.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
Oculus fui cæco, et pes claudo.
16 I was a father to the needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
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 with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix;
Dicebamque: In nidulo meo moriar, et sicut palma multiplicabo dies.
19 My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew shall lie all night upon my branch;
Radix mea aperta est secus aquas, et ros morabitur in messione mea.
20 My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow shall be renewed in my hand.'
Gloria mea semper innovabitur, et arcus meus in manu mea instaurabitur.
21 Unto 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 dropped 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 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
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 one that comforteth the mourners.
Si voluissem ire ad eos, sedebam primus: cumque sederem quasi rex, circumstante exercitu, eram tamen mœrentium consolator.
