Job 29
1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
addidit quoque Iob adsumens 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 adulescentiae 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 adsurgentes 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 adherebat
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.
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 vestivit 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.
si quando 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 maerentium consolator
