Job 29
1 And Job continued to take up his parable, and said,
| ויסף איוב שאת משלו ויאמר׃ |
2 Who will give me back months like those which are past, days like those when God guarded me;
| מי יתנני כירחי קדם כימי אלוה ישמרני׃ |
3 When his lamp shone over my head, when by his light I could walk in darkness;
| בהלו נרו עלי ראשי לאורו אלך חשך׃ |
4 As I was in the days of my abundance, when the confidence of God was upon my tent:
| כאשר הייתי בימי חרפי בסוד אלוה עלי אהלי׃ |
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my servants stood round about me;
| בעוד שדי עמדי סביבותי נערי׃ |
6 When I bathed my steps in cream, and the rock poured out near me streamlets of oil!
| ברחץ הליכי בחמה וצור יצוק עמדי פלגי שמן׃ |
7 When I went out to the gate close by the city, when in the open place I established my seat:
| בצאתי שער עלי קרת ברחוב אכין מושבי׃ |
8 Young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged rose up, and remained standing;
| ראוני נערים ונחבאו וישישים קמו עמדו׃ |
9 Princes stopped in the midst of [their] words, and laid their hand on their mouth:
| שרים עצרו במלים וכף ישימו לפיהם׃ |
10 The voice of nobles was arrested, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
| קול נגידים נחבאו ולשונם לחכם דבקה׃ |
11 For the ear that heard me called me happy; and the eye that saw me bore witness for me;
| כי אזן שמעה ותאשרני ועין ראתה ותעידני׃ |
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, yea, that had none to help him.
| כי אמלט עני משוע ויתום ולא עזר לו׃ |
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and the heart of the widow I caused to sing for joy.
| ברכת אבד עלי תבא ולב אלמנה ארנן׃ |
14 I took righteousness as my garment, and it clothed me: as a robe and a mitre was justice unto me.
| צדק לבשתי וילבשני כמעיל וצניף משפטי׃ |
15 Eyes was I to the blind; and feet to the lame was I.
| עינים הייתי לעור ורגלים לפסח אני׃ |
16 A father was I to the needy; and the cause of him I knew not I used to investigate.
| אב אנכי לאביונים ורב לא ידעתי אחקרהו׃ |
17 And I broke the cutting-teeth of the wrong-doer, and out of his teeth I cast down his prey.
| ואשברה מתלעות עול ומשניו אשליך טרף׃ |
18 And I said then, “In the midst of my nest shall I depart hence, and like the sand shall I have many days.
| ואמר עם קני אגוע וכחול ארבה ימים׃ |
19 My root will stand open for the water, and the dew will lodge on my boughs.
| שרשי פתוח אלי מים וטל ילין בקצירי׃ |
20 My glory will ever be new with me, and my bow will acquire fresh strength in my hand.”
| כבודי חדש עמדי וקשתי בידי תחליף׃ |
21 Unto me men listened, and waited, and watched in silence for my counsel
| לי שמעו ויחלו וידמו למו עצתי׃ |
22 After my words they made no reply, and my speech dropped on them [like dew].
| אחרי דברי לא ישנו ועלימו תטף מלתי׃ |
23 And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened wide their mouth as for the latter rain.
| ויחלו כמטר לי ופיהם פערו למלקוש׃ |
24 I smiled on those that had lost their confidence; and the light of my countenance they never cast down.
| אשחק אלהם לא יאמינו ואור פני לא יפילון׃ |
25 I chose their way for them, and I sat as chief, and dwelt as king in his army, as one that comforteth mourners.
| אבחר דרכם ואשב ראש ואשכון כמלך בגדוד כאשר אבלים ינחם׃ |
