< Job 29 >

1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
וַיֹּסֶף אִיּוֹב שְׂאֵת מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 O that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
מִֽי־יִתְּנֵנִי כְיַרְחֵי־קֶדֶם כִּימֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵֽנִי׃
3 When his lamp shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
בְּהִלּוֹ נֵרוֹ עֲלֵי רֹאשִׁי לְאוֹרוֹ אֵלֶךְ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tent;
כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי בִּימֵי חָרְפִּי בְּסוֹד אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵי אָהֳלִֽי׃
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
בְּעוֹד שַׁדַּי עִמָּדִי סְבִיבוֹתַי נְעָרָֽי׃
6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
בִּרְחֹץ הֲלִיכַי בְּחֵמָה וְצוּר יָצוּק עִמָּדִי פַּלְגֵי־שָֽׁמֶן׃
7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
בְּצֵאתִי שַׁעַר עֲלֵי־קָרֶת בָּרְחוֹב אָכִין מוֹשָׁבִֽי׃
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
רָאוּנִי נְעָרִים וְנֶחְבָּאוּ וִֽישִׁישִׁים קָמוּ עָמָֽדוּ׃
9 The princes stopped talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
שָׂרִים עָצְרוּ בְמִלִּים וְכַף יָשִׂימוּ לְפִיהֶֽם׃
10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
קוֹל־נְגִידִים נֶחְבָּאוּ וּלְשׁוֹנָם לְחִכָּם דָּבֵֽקָה׃
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
כִּי אֹזֶן שָׁמְעָה וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵנִי וְעַיִן רָאֲתָה וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
כִּֽי־אֲמַלֵּט עָנִי מְשַׁוֵּעַ וְיָתוֹם וְֽלֹא־עֹזֵר לֽוֹ׃
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד עָלַי תָּבֹא וְלֵב אַלְמָנָה אַרְנִֽן׃
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי כִּֽמְעִיל וְצָנִיף מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
עֵינַיִם הָיִיתִי לַֽעִוֵּר וְרַגְלַיִם לַפִּסֵּחַ אָֽנִי׃
16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
אָב אָנֹכִֽי לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִים וְרִב לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵֽהוּ׃
17 And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
וָֽאֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּעוֹת עַוָּל וּמִשִּׁנָּיו אַשְׁלִיךְ טָֽרֶף׃
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
וָאֹמַר עִם־קִנִּי אֶגְוָע וְכַחוֹל אַרְבֶּה יָמִֽים׃
19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
שָׁרְשִׁי פָתוּחַ אֱלֵי־מָיִם וְטַל יָלִין בִּקְצִירֽ͏ִי׃
20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
כְּבוֹדִי חָדָשׁ עִמָּדִי וְקַשְׁתִּי בְּיָדִי תַחֲלִֽיף׃
21 To me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
לִֽי־שָׁמְעוּ וְיִחֵלּוּ וְיִדְּמוּ לְמוֹ עֲצָתִֽי׃
22 After my words they spoke not again; and my speech fell upon them.
אַחֲרֵי דְבָרִי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ וְעָלֵימוֹ תִּטֹּף מִלָּתִֽי׃
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
וְיִֽחֲלוּ כַמָּטָר לִי וּפִיהֶם פָּעֲרוּ לְמַלְקֽוֹשׁ׃
24 If I mocked at them, they had no confidence; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
אֶשְׂחַק אֲלֵהֶם לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ וְאוֹר פָּנַי לֹא יַפִּילֽוּן׃
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
אֶֽבֲחַר דַּרְכָּם וְאֵשֵׁב רֹאשׁ וְאֶשְׁכּוֹן כְּמֶלֶךְ בַּגְּדוּד כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵֽם׃

< Job 29 >