Job 29
1 Job resumed speaking and said,
Addidit quoque Job, assumens parabolam suam, et dixit:
2 “Oh, that I were as I was in the past months when God cared for me,
[Quis mihi tribuat ut sim juxta menses pristinos, secundum dies quibus Deus custodiebat me?
3 when his lamp shined on my head, and when I walked through darkness by his light.
Quando splendebat lucerna ejus super caput meum, et ad lumen ejus ambulabam in tenebris:
4 Oh, that I were as I was in the ripeness of my days when the friendship of God was on my tent,
sicut fui in diebus adolescentiæ meæ, 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 my way was covered with cream, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
quando lavabam pedes meos butyro, et petra fundebat mihi rivos olei:
7 When I went out to the city gate, when I sat in my place in the city square,
quando procedebam ad portam civitatis, et in platea parabant cathedram mihi.
8 the young men saw me and kept their distance from me in respect, and the aged people rose and stood for me.
Videbant me juvenes, et abscondebantur: et senes assurgentes stabant.
9 The princes used to refrain from talking when I came; they would lay their hand on their mouths.
Principes cessabant loqui, et digitum superponebant ori suo.
10 The voices of the noblemen were hushed, and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouths.
Vocem suam cohibebant duces, et lingua eorum gutturi suo adhærebat.
11 For after their ears heard me, they would then bless me; after their eyes saw me, they would then give witness to me and approve of me
Auris audiens beatificabat me, et oculus videns testimonium reddebat mihi:
12 because I rescued the one who was poor when he cried out, and the one who had no father when he had no one to help him.
eo quod liberassem pauperem vociferantem, et pupillum cui non esset adjutor.
13 The blessing of him who was about to perish came on me; I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
Benedictio perituri super me veniebat, et cor viduæ consolatus sum.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban.
Justitia indutus sum, et vestivi me, sicut vestimento et diademate, judicio meo.
15 I was eyes to blind people; I was feet to lame people.
Oculus fui cæco, et pes claudo.
16 I was a father to needy people; I would examine the case even of one whom I did not know.
Pater eram pauperum, et causam quam nesciebam diligentissime investigabam.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous man; I plucked the victim out from between his teeth.
Conterebam molas iniqui, et de dentibus illius auferebam prædam.
18 Then I said, 'I will die in my nest; I will multiply my days like the grains of sand.
Dicebamque: In nidulo meo moriar, et sicut palma multiplicabo dies.
19 My roots are spread out to the waters, and dew lies all night on my branches.
Radix mea aperta est secus aquas, et ros morabitur in messione mea.
20 The honor in me is always fresh, and the bow of my strength is always new in my hand.'
Gloria mea semper innovabitur, et arcus meus in manu mea instaurabitur.
21 To me men listened; they waited for me; they stayed silent to hear my advice.
Qui me audiebant, expectabant sententiam, et intenti tacebant ad consilium meum.
22 After my words were done, they did not speak again; my speech dropped like water on them.
Verbis meis addere nihil audebant, et super illos stillabat eloquium meum.
23 They always waited for me as they waited for rain; they opened their mouth wide to drink in my words, as they would do for the latter rain.
Expectabant me sicut pluviam, et os suum aperiebant quasi ad imbrem serotinum.
24 I smiled on them when they did not expect it; they did not reject the light of my face.
Siquando ridebam ad eos, non credebant: et lux vultus mei non cadebat in terram.
25 I selected their way and sat as their chief; I lived like a king in his army, like one who comforts mourners.
Si voluissem ire ad eos, sedebam primus: cumque sederem quasi rex, circumstante exercitu, eram tamen mœrentium consolator.]
