< Job 29 >
1 And Job again took up his parable, and said,
約伯又接着說:
2 Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
惟願我的景況如從前的月份, 如上帝保守我的日子。
3 When his lamp shined upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;
那時他的燈照在我頭上; 我藉他的光行過黑暗。
4 As I was in the ripeness of my days, when the secret of God was upon my tent;
我願如壯年的時候: 那時我在帳棚中, 上帝待我有密友之情;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me;
全能者仍與我同在; 我的兒女都環繞我。
6 When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
奶多可洗我的腳; 磐石為我出油成河。
7 When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the street,
我出到城門, 在街上設立座位;
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood;
少年人見我而迴避, 老年人也起身站立;
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;
王子都停止說話, 用手摀口;
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
首領靜默無聲, 舌頭貼住上膛。
11 For when the ear heard [me], then it blessed me; and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness unto me:
耳朵聽我的,就稱我有福; 眼睛看我的,便稱讚我;
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.
因我拯救哀求的困苦人 和無人幫助的孤兒。
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
將要滅亡的為我祝福; 我也使寡婦心中歡樂。
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my justice was as a robe and a diadem.
我以公義為衣服, 以公平為外袍和冠冕。
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
我為瞎子的眼, 瘸子的腳。
16 I was a father to the needy: and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
我為窮乏人的父; 素不認識的人,我查明他的案件。
17 And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
我打破不義之人的牙床, 從他牙齒中奪了所搶的。
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand:
我便說:我必死在家中, 必增添我的日子,多如塵沙。
19 My root is spread out to the waters, and the dew lieth all night upon my branch:
我的根長到水邊; 露水終夜霑在我的枝上。
20 My glory is fresh in me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.
我的榮耀在身上增新; 我的弓在手中日強。
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
人聽見我而仰望, 靜默等候我的指教。
22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
我說話之後,他們就不再說; 我的言語像雨露滴在他們身上。
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
他們仰望我如仰望雨, 又張開口如切慕春雨。
24 If I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
他們不敢自信,我就向他們含笑; 他們不使我臉上的光改變。
25 I chose out their way, and sat [as] chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
我為他們選擇道路,又坐首位; 我如君王在軍隊中居住, 又如弔喪的安慰傷心的人。