Job 29
1 Job spoke again,
ἔτι δὲ προσθεὶς Ιωβ εἶπεν τῷ προοιμίῳ
2 “I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.
τίς ἄν με θείη κατὰ μῆνα ἔμπροσθεν ἡμερῶν ὧν με ὁ θεὸς ἐφύλαξεν
3 During those years, [it was as though] God’s lamp [MET] shone on me and gave me light while I walked in the darkness.
ὡς ὅτε ηὔγει ὁ λύχνος αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς μου ὅτε τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπορευόμην ἐν σκότει
4 At that time I was young and strong, and because God was my friend, [he protected] [PRS] my tent.
ὅτε ἤμην ἐπιβρίθων ὁδοῖς ὅτε ὁ θεὸς ἐπισκοπὴν ἐποιεῖτο τοῦ οἴκου μου
5 Almighty [God] was with me during those years when all my children were around me.
ὅτε ἤμην ὑλώδης λίαν κύκλῳ δέ μου οἱ παῖδες
6 [My herds] provided me with plenty of milk, and streams of oil flowed from the rock where my olives were pressed.
ὅτε ἐχέοντό μου αἱ ὁδοὶ βουτύρῳ τὰ δὲ ὄρη μου ἐχέοντο γάλακτι
7 “Whenever I went to [the place where the elders gathered at] the city gate, I sat down with them,
ὅτε ἐξεπορευόμην ὄρθριος ἐν πόλει ἐν δὲ πλατείαις ἐτίθετό μου ὁ δίφρος
8 and when the young men saw me, they stepped aside [respectfully], and the old men [also] stood [respectfully].
ἰδόντες με νεανίσκοι ἐκρύβησαν πρεσβῦται δὲ πάντες ἔστησαν
9 The leaders of the people stopped talking [DOU],
ἁδροὶ δὲ ἐπαύσαντο λαλοῦντες δάκτυλον ἐπιθέντες ἐπὶ στόματι
10 and even the most important men became quiet and ceased talking [MTY] [in order to hear me speak to them].
οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐμακάρισάν με καὶ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν τῷ λάρυγγι αὐτῶν ἐκολλήθη
11 When they [SYN] all heard [what I told them], they said good things about me. When they [SYN] saw me (OR, what I had done), they commended me,
ὅτι οὖς ἤκουσεν καὶ ἐμακάρισέν με ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ ἰδών με ἐξέκλινεν
12 because I had helped the poor people when they cried out for help and I aided/helped orphans who had no one else to help them.
διέσωσα γὰρ πτωχὸν ἐκ χειρὸς δυνάστου καὶ ὀρφανῷ ᾧ οὐκ ἦν βοηθός ἐβοήθησα
13 Those who were suffering and about to die praised [PRS] me, and I caused widows [SYN] to sing joyfully, [because of my helping them].
εὐλογία ἀπολλυμένου ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἔλθοι στόμα δὲ χήρας με εὐλόγησεν
14 I always acted justly; my continually doing that was like [MET] a robe that I wore and a turban [that was wrapped around my head].
δικαιοσύνην δὲ ἐνεδεδύκειν ἠμφιασάμην δὲ κρίμα ἴσα διπλοΐδι
15 [It was as though] [MET] I was eyes for blind people and feet for people who were lame.
ὀφθαλμὸς ἤμην τυφλῶν ποὺς δὲ χωλῶν
16 I was [like] [MET] a father to poor people, and in courts I defended those who were strangers.
ἐγὼ ἤμην πατὴρ ἀδυνάτων δίκην δέ ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειν ἐξιχνίασα
17 My causing wicked people [to be unable to continue oppressing others was like] [MET] breaking the fangs [of fierce wild animals] and forcing them to drop from their teeth/mouths the animals that they had caught/seized.
συνέτριψα δὲ μύλας ἀδίκων ἐκ δὲ μέσου τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτῶν ἅρπαγμα ἐξέσπασα
18 “At that time I thought, ‘Surely I will live securely, until I am very old [SIM], and I will die at home [with my family].’
εἶπα δέ ἡ ἡλικία μου γηράσει ὥσπερ στέλεχος φοίνικος πολὺν χρόνον βιώσω
19 I was [like a tree] [MET] whose roots reach down into the water and whose branches become wet with dew each night.
ἡ ῥίζα μου διήνοικται ἐπὶ ὕδατος καὶ δρόσος αὐλισθήσεται ἐν τῷ θερισμῷ μου
20 People always honored me, and I was always [strong like] [MET] a new bow.
ἡ δόξα μου καινὴ μετ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ τὸ τόξον μου ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ πορεύσεται
21 “When I spoke, people waited to hear [what I would say] and remained silent until I advised them [what they should do].
ἐμοῦ ἀκούσαντες προσέσχον ἐσιώπησαν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμῇ βουλῇ
22 After I finished speaking, they did not say any more; [it was as though] [MET] my words fell on their ears [like refreshing drops of rain].
ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ἐμῷ ῥήματι οὐ προσέθεντο περιχαρεῖς δὲ ἐγίνοντο ὁπόταν αὐτοῖς ἐλάλουν
23 They waited for me [to speak] like they wait for rain; they [appreciated what I said] like [MET] [farmers appreciate] the final rain in the spring [before the dry season].
ὥσπερ γῆ διψῶσα προσδεχομένη τὸν ὑετόν οὕτως οὗτοι τὴν ἐμὴν λαλιάν
24 When they were discouraged, I smiled at them [to encourage them]; they became encouraged when they saw that I approved of them.
ἐὰν γελάσω πρὸς αὐτούς οὐ μὴ πιστεύσωσιν καὶ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου μου οὐκ ἀπέπιπτεν
25 I was their leader, and I decided what things [would be good for them to do]; I was among them like [SIM] a king who is among his troops; I was like someone who comforts [others] who are mourning.”
ἐξελεξάμην ὁδὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκάθισα ἄρχων καὶ κατεσκήνουν ὡσεὶ βασιλεὺς ἐν μονοζώνοις ὃν τρόπον παθεινοὺς παρακαλῶν
