Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
| ויסף איוב שאת משלו ויאמר׃ |
2 “Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
| מי יתנני כירחי קדם כימי אלוה ישמרני׃ |
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
| בהלו נרו עלי ראשי לאורו אלך חשך׃ |
4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
| כאשר הייתי בימי חרפי בסוד אלוה עלי אהלי׃ |
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
| בעוד שדי עמדי סביבותי נערי׃ |
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
| ברחץ הליכי בחמה וצור יצוק עמדי פלגי שמן׃ |
7 when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
| בצאתי שער עלי קרת ברחוב אכין מושבי׃ |
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
| ראוני נערים ונחבאו וישישים קמו עמדו׃ |
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
| שרים עצרו במלים וכף ישימו לפיהם׃ |
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
| קול נגידים נחבאו ולשונם לחכם דבקה׃ |
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
| כי אזן שמעה ותאשרני ועין ראתה ותעידני׃ |
12 because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
| כי אמלט עני משוע ויתום ולא עזר לו׃ |
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
| ברכת אבד עלי תבא ולב אלמנה ארנן׃ |
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
| צדק לבשתי וילבשני כמעיל וצניף משפטי׃ |
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
| עינים הייתי לעור ורגלים לפסח אני׃ |
16 I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
| אב אנכי לאביונים ורב לא ידעתי אחקרהו׃ |
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
| ואשברה מתלעות עול ומשניו אשליך טרף׃ |
18 Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
| ואמר עם קני אגוע וכחול ארבה ימים׃ |
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
| שרשי פתוח אלי מים וטל ילין בקצירי׃ |
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
| כבודי חדש עמדי וקשתי בידי תחליף׃ |
21 “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
| לי שמעו ויחלו וידמו למו עצתי׃ |
22 After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
| אחרי דברי לא ישנו ועלימו תטף מלתי׃ |
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
| ויחלו כמטר לי ופיהם פערו למלקוש׃ |
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
| אשחק אלהם לא יאמינו ואור פני לא יפילון׃ |
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
| אבחר דרכם ואשב ראש ואשכון כמלך בגדוד כאשר אבלים ינחם׃ |
