Job 29
1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
Addidit quoque Iob, assumens parabolam suam, et dixit:
2 O that I were as in months past, In the days when God was my guardian;
Quis mihi tribuat, ut sim iuxta menses pristinos secundum dies, quibus Deus custodiebat me?
3 When his lamp shined over my head, And when by his light I walked through darkness!
Quando splendebat lucerna eius super caput meum, et ad lumen eius ambulabam in tenebris?
4 As I was in the autumn of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;
Sicut fui in diebus adolescentiae meae, quando secreto Deus erat in tabernaculo meo?
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
Quando erat Omnipotens mecum: et in circuitu meo pueri mei?
6 When I bathed my steps in milk, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
Quando lavabam pedes meos butyro, et petra fundebat mihi rivos olei?
7 When I went forth to the gate by the city, And took my seat in the market-place,
Quando procedebam ad portam civitatis, et in platea parabant cathedram mihi?
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged arose and stood.
Videbant me iuvenes, et abscondebantur: et senes assurgentes stabant.
9 The princes refrained from speaking, And laid their hand upon their mouth.
Principes cessabant loqui, et digitum superponebant ori suo.
10 The nobles held their peace, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
Vocem suam cohibebant duces, et lingua eorum gutturi suo adhaerebat.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.
Auris audiens beatificabat me, et oculus videns testimonium reddebat mihi.
12 For I delivered the poor, when they cried; And the fatherless, who had none to help him.
Eo quod liberassem pauperem vociferantem, et pupillum, cui non esset adiutor.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, And I caused the heart of the widow to sing for joy.
Benedictio perituri super me veniebat, et cor viduae consolatus sum.
14 I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; And justice was my robe and diadem.
Iustitia indutus sum: et vestivi me, sicut vestimento et diademate, iudicio meo.
15 I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame;
Oculus fui caeco, et pes claudo.
16 I was a father to the poor, And the cause of him I knew not I searched out;
Pater eram pauperum: et causam quam nesciebam, diligentissime investigabam.
17 And I broke the teeth of the wicked, And plucked the spoil from his jaws.
Conterebam molas iniqui, et de dentibus illius auferebam praedam.
18 Then said I, “I shall die in my nest; I shall multiply my days as the sand.
Dicebamque: In nidulo meo moriar, et sicut palma multiplicabo dies.
19 My root is spread abroad to the waters, And the dew abideth on my branches.
Radix mea aperta est secus aquas, et ros morabitur in messione mea.
20 My glory is fresh with me, And my bow gathereth strength in my hand.”
Gloria mea semper innovabitur, et arcus meus in manu mea instaurabitur.
21 To me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
Qui me audiebant, expectabant sententiam, et intenti tacebant ad consilium meum.
22 To my words they made no reply, When my speech dropped down upon them.
Verbis meis addere nihil audebant, et super illos stillabat eloquium meum.
23 Yea, they waited for me as for the rain; They opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.
Expectabant me sicut pluviam, et os suum aperiebant quasi ad imbrem serotinum.
24 If I smiled upon them, they believed it not; Nor did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.
Siquando ridebam ad eos, non credebant, et lux vultus mei non cadebat in terram.
25 When I came among them, I sat as chief; I dwelt as a king in the midst of an army, As a comforter among mourners.
Si voluissem ire ad eos, sedebam primus: cumque sederem quasi rex, circumstante exercitu, eram tamen moerentium consolator.
