Job 29
1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
Ka naʻe fai ai pe ʻe Siope ʻene lea mamafa, ʻo ne pehē,
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved 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 candle shined upon my head, and when 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 the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
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, when my children were about me;
ʻI he kei ʻiate au ʻae Māfimafi, pea ʻiate au mo ʻeku fānau;
6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
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 gate through the city, 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: and the aged arose, and stood up.
Naʻe sio kiate au ʻae kau talavou, ʻonau toitoi: pea tutuʻu ki ʻolunga ʻae kau mātuʻa.
9 The princes refrained 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 nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
Naʻe longo pe ʻae houʻeiki, pea piki honau ʻelelo ki honau ʻoʻaoʻingutu.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to 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 that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
He naʻaku fakahaofia ʻae masiva naʻe tangi, ʻae tamai mate, mo ia naʻe ʻikai hano tokoni.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon 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 judgment 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 was I to the lame.
Ko e mata au ki he kui, mo e vaʻe ki he ketu.
16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
Ko e tamai au ki he masiva: pea ko e meʻa naʻe ʻikai te u ʻiloʻi ne u kumi lahi ki ai.
17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
Naʻaku fesiʻi ʻae kouʻahe ʻoe fai kovi, ʻo toʻo ʻae meʻa faʻao mei hono nifo.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply 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 was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon 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 was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
Ko hoku ongoongolelei naʻe maʻuiʻui pe, pea naʻe fakafoʻou ʻeku kaufana ʻi hoku nima.’
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
“Naʻe fakafanongo ʻae kakai kiate au, ʻo tatali, pea fakalongo pē ʻi heʻeku akonaki.
22 After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
Hili ʻeku lea naʻe ʻikai te nau tali; pea naʻe tō ʻeku lea kiate kinautolu.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter 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 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
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 chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that 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.
