< Job 29 >

1 And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
וַיֹּסֶף אִיּוֹב שְׂאֵת מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 “Who makes me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God’s preserving me?
מִֽי־יִתְּנֵנִי כְיַרְחֵי־קֶדֶם כִּימֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵֽנִי׃
3 In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
בְּהִלּוֹ נֵרוֹ עֲלֵי רֹאשִׁי לְאוֹרוֹ אֵלֶךְ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
4 As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God on my tent.
כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי בִּימֵי חָרְפִּי בְּסוֹד אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵי אָהֳלִֽי׃
5 When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Around me—my young ones,
בְּעוֹד שַׁדַּי עִמָּדִי סְבִיבוֹתַי נְעָרָֽי׃
6 When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me—streams of oil.
בִּרְחֹץ הֲלִיכַי בְּחֵמָה וְצוּר יָצוּק עִמָּדִי פַּלְגֵי־שָֽׁמֶן׃
7 When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
בְּצֵאתִי שַׁעַר עֲלֵי־קָרֶת בָּרְחוֹב אָכִין מוֹשָׁבִֽי׃
8 Youths have seen me, and they have been hidden, And the aged have risen—they stood up.
רָאוּנִי נְעָרִים וְנֶחְבָּאוּ וִֽישִׁישִׁים קָמוּ עָמָֽדוּ׃
9 Princes have kept in words, And they place a hand on their mouth.
שָׂרִים עָצְרוּ בְמִלִּים וְכַף יָשִׂימוּ לְפִיהֶֽם׃
10 The voice of leaders has been hidden, And their tongue has cleaved to the palate.
קוֹל־נְגִידִים נֶחְבָּאוּ וּלְשׁוֹנָם לְחִכָּם דָּבֵֽקָה׃
11 For the ear heard, and declares me blessed, And the eye has seen, and testifies [to] me.
כִּי אֹזֶן שָׁמְעָה וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵנִי וְעַיִן רָאֲתָה וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃
12 For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who has no helper.
כִּֽי־אֲמַלֵּט עָנִי מְשַׁוֵּעַ וְיָתוֹם וְֽלֹא־עֹזֵר לֽוֹ׃
13 The blessing of the perishing comes on me, And I cause the heart of the widow to sing.
בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד עָלַי תָּבֹא וְלֵב אַלְמָנָה אַרְנִֽן׃
14 I have put on righteousness, and it clothes me, My justice as a robe and a crown.
צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי כִּֽמְעִיל וְצָנִיף מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃
15 I have been eyes to the blind, And I [am] feet to the lame.
עֵינַיִם הָיִיתִי לַֽעִוֵּר וְרַגְלַיִם לַפִּסֵּחַ אָֽנִי׃
16 I [am] a father to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
אָב אָנֹכִֽי לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִים וְרִב לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵֽהוּ׃
17 And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
וָֽאֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּעוֹת עַוָּל וּמִשִּׁנָּיו אַשְׁלִיךְ טָֽרֶף׃
18 And I say, I expire with my nest, And I multiply days as the sand.
וָאֹמַר עִם־קִנִּי אֶגְוָע וְכַחוֹל אַרְבֶּה יָמִֽים׃
19 My root is open to the waters, And dew lodges on my branch.
שָׁרְשִׁי פָתוּחַ אֱלֵי־מָיִם וְטַל יָלִין בִּקְצִירֽ͏ִי׃
20 My glory [is] fresh with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
כְּבוֹדִי חָדָשׁ עִמָּדִי וְקַשְׁתִּי בְּיָדִי תַחֲלִֽיף׃
21 They have listened to me, Indeed, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
לִֽי־שָׁמְעוּ וְיִחֵלּוּ וְיִדְּמוּ לְמוֹ עֲצָתִֽי׃
22 After my word they do not change, And my speech drops on them,
אַחֲרֵי דְבָרִי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ וְעָלֵימוֹ תִּטֹּף מִלָּתִֽי׃
23 And they wait for me as [for] rain, And they have opened wide their mouth [As] for the spring rain.
וְיִֽחֲלוּ כַמָּטָר לִי וּפִיהֶם פָּעֲרוּ לְמַלְקֽוֹשׁ׃
24 I laugh at them—they give no credence, And do not cause the light of my face to fall.
אֶשְׂחַק אֲלֵהֶם לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ וְאוֹר פָּנַי לֹא יַפִּילֽוּן׃
25 I choose their way, and sit [as] head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When he comforts mourners.”
אֶֽבֲחַר דַּרְכָּם וְאֵשֵׁב רֹאשׁ וְאֶשְׁכּוֹן כְּמֶלֶךְ בַּגְּדוּד כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵֽם׃

< Job 29 >