Job 29

1 Job spoke again,

Ka naʻe fai ai pe ʻe Siope ʻene lea mamafa, ʻo ne pehē,

2 “I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.

“Taumaiā kuo u tatau eni mo e ngaahi māhina kuo hili ange, ʻo hangē ko e ngaahi ʻaho naʻe maluʻi ai au ʻe he ʻOtua;

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.

‌ʻI he kei ulo ʻa ʻene maama ki hoku ʻulu, pea u ʻalu mo ʻene maama ʻi he fakapoʻuli;

4 At that time I was young and strong, and because God was my friend, [he protected] [PRS] my tent.

‌ʻO hangē ko ʻeku nofo ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻeku monūʻia, ʻi he fakataha ʻae kakai ʻoe ʻOtua ʻi hoku fale;

5 Almighty [God] was with me during those years when all my children were around me.

‌ʻI he kei ʻiate au ʻae Māfimafi, pea ʻiate au mo ʻeku fānau;

6 [My herds] provided me with plenty of milk, and streams of oil flowed from the rock where my olives were pressed.

‌ʻI he tafe ʻae pota ʻi hoku hala, pea lilingi mai ʻe he maka ʻae lolo lahi ʻaupito;

7 “Whenever I went to [the place where the elders gathered at] the city gate, I sat down with them,

‌ʻI heʻeku ʻalu atu ʻi he loto kolo ki he matapā, pea teuʻi hoku nofoʻanga ʻi he hala lahi!

8 and when the young men saw me, they stepped aside [respectfully], and the old men [also] stood [respectfully].

Naʻe sio kiate au ʻae kau talavou, ʻonau toitoi: pea tutuʻu ki ʻolunga ʻae kau mātuʻa.

9 The leaders of the people stopped talking [DOU],

Naʻe taʻofi ʻe he ngaahi ʻeiki ʻenau alea, ʻo ʻai honau nima ki honau ngutu.

10 and even the most important men became quiet and ceased talking [MTY] [in order to hear me speak to them].

Naʻe longo pe ʻae houʻeiki, pea piki honau ʻelelo ki honau ʻoʻaoʻingutu.

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,

‌ʻI he ongoʻi au ʻe he telinga, ne ne tāpuakiʻi au; pea ʻi he mamata ʻae mata kiate au, naʻa ne fakamoʻoniʻi au:

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.

He naʻaku fakahaofia ʻae masiva naʻe tangi, ʻae tamai mate, mo ia naʻe ʻikai hano tokoni.

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].

Ko e tāpuaki ʻo ia naʻe meimei mate ne hoko kiate au: pea naʻaku fakafiefiaʻi ke hiva ʻae loto ʻoe fefine kuo mate hono husepāniti.

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].

Ne u ai ʻae māʻoniʻoni, pea ne ʻufiʻufi ʻaki au: naʻe tatau ʻeku fakamaau mo e pulupulu mo e pale.

15 [It was as though] [MET] I was eyes for blind people and feet for people who were lame.

Ko e mata au ki he kui, mo e vaʻe ki he ketu.

16 I was [like] [MET] a father to poor people, and in courts I defended those who were strangers.

Ko e tamai au ki he masiva: pea ko e meʻa naʻe ʻikai te u ʻiloʻi ne u kumi lahi ki ai.

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.

Naʻaku fesiʻi ʻae kouʻahe ʻoe fai kovi, ʻo toʻo ʻae meʻa faʻao mei hono nifo.

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].’

Pea u toki pehē, ‘Te u mate ʻi hoku pununga, pea te u fakalahi hoku ngaahi ʻaho ke hangē ko e ʻoneʻone.

19 I was [like a tree] [MET] whose roots reach down into the water and whose branches become wet with dew each night.

Naʻe mafola hoku aka ʻi he ngaahi veʻe vai, pea toka ʻae hahau ki hoku vaʻa ʻi he pō kotoa.

20 People always honored me, and I was always [strong like] [MET] a new bow.

Ko hoku ongoongolelei naʻe maʻuiʻui pe, pea naʻe fakafoʻou ʻeku kaufana ʻi hoku nima.’

21 “When I spoke, people waited to hear [what I would say] and remained silent until I advised them [what they should do].

“Naʻe fakafanongo ʻae kakai kiate au, ʻo tatali, pea fakalongo pē ʻi heʻeku akonaki.

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].

Hili ʻeku lea naʻe ʻikai te nau tali; pea naʻe tō ʻeku lea kiate kinautolu.

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].

Pea naʻa nau tatali kiate au ʻo hangē ki he ʻuha: pea nau fakamanga lahi honau ngutu ʻo hangē ki he ʻuha mui.

24 When they were discouraged, I smiled at them [to encourage them]; they became encouraged when they saw that I approved of them.

Ne u kata kiate kinautolu, pea ʻikai te nau faʻa tui; pea ko e maama ʻo hoku mata naʻe ʻikai ke nau lī ki lalo.

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.”

Naʻaku fili honau hala, ʻo nofo ko e ʻeiki, ne u nofo ʻo hangē ha tuʻi ʻi he kautau, pea hangē ha taha ʻoku ne fakafiemālieʻi ʻae kakai mamahi.