Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
約伯繼續他的言論說：
2 “Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
誰能賜我似以前的歲月，像以往天主護守我的時日呢﹖
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
那時他的燈，光照在我頭上，藉他的光明，我走過黑暗。
4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
惟願我如壯年之時，那時天主護佑我的帳幕；
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
全能者與我相偕，我的子女環繞著我；
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
那時我以奶油洗腳，崖石流油成河。
7 when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
當我走出城門，在市井設我座位之時，
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
少年人看見我都迴避，老年人都起身站立；
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
王侯停止講話，用手堵住自己的口；
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
首領不敢出聲，舌頭緊貼上顎。
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
凡有耳聽見我的，必稱我有福；凡有眼看見我的，都必稱讚我。
12 because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
因為我援助了呼救的窮人，和無依無靠的孤兒。
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
那受喪亡之痛的人稱謝我，我使寡婦的心歡樂。
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
我披上正義，正義就如我衣；我的公正，猶如我的長袍和冠冕。
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
我作了盲人的眼，跛者的腳。
16 I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
我成了窮人之父，我調查過素不相識者的案件。
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
我打碎惡人的燎牙，由他牙齒中奪出了獵物。
18 Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
我心想：我必壽終正寢，我的壽數必如塵沙。
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
我的根蔓延到水邊，夜間甘露落在我的枝葉上。
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
我的榮耀不斷更新，我手中的弓日新月異。
21 “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
聽我講話的人，屏息等待，靜聽我的指教。
22 After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
我講話之後，無人再敢講話，我的話像水珠滴在他們身上。
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
他們期待我如望甘霖，張著大口如渴盼春雨。
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
我向他們微笑，他們不敢相信；我和善的面容，他們必不放過。
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
我為他們選擇了道路，身居前導，一如立在軍中的君王；我引他們到那裏，他們就去。
