Job 29
1 And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
Ka naʻe fai ai pe ʻe Siope ʻene lea mamafa, ʻo ne pehē,
2 “Who makes me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God’s preserving 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 In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
ʻI he kei ulo ʻa ʻene maama ki hoku ʻulu, pea u ʻalu mo ʻene maama ʻi he fakapoʻuli;
4 As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God on my tent.
ʻO hangē ko ʻeku nofo ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻeku monūʻia, ʻi he fakataha ʻae kakai ʻoe ʻOtua ʻi hoku fale;
5 When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Around me—my young ones,
ʻI he kei ʻiate au ʻae Māfimafi, pea ʻiate au mo ʻeku fānau;
6 When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me—streams of oil.
ʻI he tafe ʻae pota ʻi hoku hala, pea lilingi mai ʻe he maka ʻae lolo lahi ʻaupito;
7 When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
ʻI heʻeku ʻalu atu ʻi he loto kolo ki he matapā, pea teuʻi hoku nofoʻanga ʻi he hala lahi!
8 Youths have seen me, and they have been hidden, And the aged have risen—they stood up.
Naʻe sio kiate au ʻae kau talavou, ʻonau toitoi: pea tutuʻu ki ʻolunga ʻae kau mātuʻa.
9 Princes have kept in words, And they place a hand on their mouth.
Naʻe taʻofi ʻe he ngaahi ʻeiki ʻenau alea, ʻo ʻai honau nima ki honau ngutu.
10 The voice of leaders has been hidden, And their tongue has cleaved to the palate.
Naʻe longo pe ʻae houʻeiki, pea piki honau ʻelelo ki honau ʻoʻaoʻingutu.
11 For the ear heard, and declares me blessed, And the eye has seen, and testifies [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 For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who has no helper.
He naʻaku fakahaofia ʻae masiva naʻe tangi, ʻae tamai mate, mo ia naʻe ʻikai hano tokoni.
13 The blessing of the perishing comes on me, And I cause the heart of the widow to sing.
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 have put on righteousness, and it clothes me, My justice as a robe and a crown.
Ne u ai ʻae māʻoniʻoni, pea ne ʻufiʻufi ʻaki au: naʻe tatau ʻeku fakamaau mo e pulupulu mo e pale.
15 I have been eyes to the blind, And I [am] feet to the lame.
Ko e mata au ki he kui, mo e vaʻe ki he ketu.
16 I [am] a father to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search 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 break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
Naʻaku fesiʻi ʻae kouʻahe ʻoe fai kovi, ʻo toʻo ʻae meʻa faʻao mei hono nifo.
18 And I say, I expire with my nest, And I multiply 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 is open to the waters, And dew lodges on 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 [is] fresh with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
Ko hoku ongoongolelei naʻe maʻuiʻui pe, pea naʻe fakafoʻou ʻeku kaufana ʻi hoku nima.’
21 They have listened to me, Indeed, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
“Naʻe fakafanongo ʻae kakai kiate au, ʻo tatali, pea fakalongo pē ʻi heʻeku akonaki.
22 After my word they do not change, And my speech drops on them,
Hili ʻeku lea naʻe ʻikai te nau tali; pea naʻe tō ʻeku lea kiate kinautolu.
23 And they wait for me as [for] rain, And they have opened wide their mouth [As] for the spring 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 I laugh at them—they give no credence, And do not cause the light of my face to fall.
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 choose their way, and sit [as] head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When he comforts 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.
