Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
| וַיֹּסֶף אִיּוֹב שְׂאֵת מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ |
2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
| מִֽי־יִתְּנֵנִי כְיַרְחֵי־קֶדֶם כִּימֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵֽנִי׃ |
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
| בְּהִלּוֹ נֵרוֹ עֲלֵי רֹאשִׁי לְאוֹרוֹ אֵלֶךְ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ |
4 as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
| כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי בִּימֵי חׇרְפִּי בְּסוֹד אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵי אׇהֳלִֽי׃ |
5 when Shaddai was yet with me, and my children were around me,
| בְּעוֹד שַׁדַּי עִמָּדִי סְבִיבוֹתַי נְעָרָֽי׃ |
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
| בִּרְחֹץ הֲלִיכַי בְּחֵמָה וְצוּר יָצוּק עִמָּדִי פַּלְגֵי־שָֽׁמֶן׃ |
7 when I went forth to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
| בְּצֵאתִי שַׁעַר עֲלֵי־קָרֶת בָּרְחוֹב אָכִין מוֹשָׁבִֽי׃ |
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
| רָאוּנִי נְעָרִים וְנֶחְבָּאוּ וִישִׁישִׁים קָמוּ עָמָֽדוּ׃ |
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
| שָׂרִים עָצְרוּ בְמִלִּים וְכַף יָשִׂימוּ לְפִיהֶֽם׃ |
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
| קוֹל־נְגִידִים נֶחְבָּאוּ וּלְשׁוֹנָם לְחִכָּם דָּבֵֽקָה׃ |
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:
| כִּי אֹזֶן שָׁמְעָה וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵנִי וְעַיִן רָאֲתָה וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃ |
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,
| כִּֽי־אֲמַלֵּט עָנִי מְשַׁוֵּעַ וְיָתוֹם וְֽלֹא־עֹזֵר לֽוֹ׃ |
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
| בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד עָלַי תָּבֹא וְלֵב אַלְמָנָה אַרְנִֽן׃ |
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
| צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי כִּמְעִיל וְצָנִיף מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃ |
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
| עֵינַיִם הָיִיתִי לַעִוֵּר וְרַגְלַיִם לַפִּסֵּחַ אָֽנִי׃ |
16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I did not know, I searched out.
| אָב אָנֹכִֽי לָאֶבְיוֹנִים וְרִב לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵֽהוּ׃ |
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
| וָאֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּעוֹת עַוָּל וּמִשִּׁנָּיו אַשְׁלִיךְ טָֽרֶף׃ |
18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.
| וָאֹמַר עִם־קִנִּי אֶגְוָע וְכַחוֹל אַרְבֶּה יָמִֽים׃ |
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
| שׇׁרְשִׁי פָתוּחַ אֱלֵי־מָיִם וְטַל יָלִין בִּקְצִירִֽי׃ |
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'
| כְּבוֹדִי חָדָשׁ עִמָּדִי וְקַשְׁתִּי בְּיָדִי תַחֲלִֽיף׃ |
21 "Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
| לִֽי־שָׁמְעוּ וְיִחֵלּוּ וְיִדְּמוּ לְמוֹ עֲצָתִֽי׃ |
22 After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.
| אַחֲרֵי דְבָרִי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ וְעָלֵימוֹ תִּטֹּף מִלָּתִֽי׃ |
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
| וְיִחֲלוּ כַמָּטָר לִי וּפִיהֶם פָּעֲרוּ לְמַלְקֽוֹשׁ׃ |
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.
| אֶשְׂחַק אֲלֵהֶם לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ וְאוֹר פָּנַי לֹא יַפִּילֽוּן׃ |
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
| אֶבְחַר דַּרְכָּם וְאֵשֵׁב רֹאשׁ וְאֶשְׁכּוֹן כְּמֶלֶךְ בַּגְּדוּד כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵֽם׃ |
