Jòb 29
1 Ankò, Job te reprann diskou. Li te di:
Job spoke again,
2 “O ke m te menm jan ke m te ye nan mwa lontan yo! Kon nan jou ke Bondye te bay rega sou mwen yo;
“I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.
3 Lè lanp Li yo te briye sou tèt mwen, e pa limyè Li, mwen te mache pase nan fènwa a;
During those years, [it was as though] God’s lamp [MET] shone on me and gave me light while I walked in the darkness.
4 Jan mwen te ye nan pi bèl nan jou mwen yo, lè amitye Bondye te sou tant mwen an;
At that time I was young and strong, and because God was my friend, [he protected] [PRS] my tent.
5 lè Toupwisan an te toujou avè m, e pitit mwen yo te antoure mwen;
Almighty [God] was with me during those years when all my children were around me.
6 lè pa mwen yo te benyen nan bè e wòch la t ap vide ban mwen gwo flèv lwil!
[My herds] provided me with plenty of milk, and streams of oil flowed from the rock where my olives were pressed.
7 Lè m te konn sòti nan pòtay lavil la, pou m te gen chèz mwen sou plas la.
“Whenever I went to [the place where the elders gathered at] the city gate, I sat down with them,
8 Jennonm yo te wè m, e te kache kò yo, e granmoun yo te konn leve kanpe.
and when the young men saw me, they stepped aside [respectfully], and the old men [also] stood [respectfully].
9 Prens yo te sispann pale e te mete men yo sou bouch yo.
The leaders of the people stopped talking [DOU],
10 Vwa a moun pwisan yo te rete, e lang yo te kole anlè nan bouch yo.
and even the most important men became quiet and ceased talking [MTY] [in order to hear me speak to them].
11 Paske lè zòrèy la te tande m, li te rele m beni, e lè zye a te wè m, li te fè temwayaj benediksyon,
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,
12 akoz mwen te delivre malere ki te kriye pou sekou, avèk òfelen ki pa t gen moun pou ede l la.
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.
13 Benediksyon a sila ki te prèt pou peri yo te rive sou mwen e mwen te fè kè vèv la chante avèk jwa.
Those who were suffering and about to die praised [PRS] me, and I caused widows [SYN] to sing joyfully, [because of my helping them].
14 Mwen te abiye nan ladwati e li te kouvri m; jistis mwen te tankou yon manto, avèk yon tiban.
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].
15 Mwen te sèvi kon zye pou avèg yo, e pye pou sila bwate yo.
[It was as though] [MET] I was eyes for blind people and feet for people who were lame.
16 Mwen te yon papa pou malere a, e ka ke m pa konnen an, mwen te chache twouve bout li.
I was [like] [MET] a father to poor people, and in courts I defended those who were strangers.
17 Mwen te kase machwè a mechan an e mwen te retire viktim nan anba dan l.
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.
18 Konsa, mwen te reflechi, “Mwen va mouri nan pwòp kay mwen, e mwen va kontwole jou m yo anpil tankou sab.”
“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].’
19 Rasin mwen gaye tankou dlo e lawouze kouche tout lannwit sou branch mwen yo.
I was [like a tree] [MET] whose roots reach down into the water and whose branches become wet with dew each night.
20 Fòs mwen toujou nèf, e banza m renouvle nan men m.’
People always honored me, and I was always [strong like] [MET] a new bow.
21 “Moun yo te koute e te tann. Yo te sispann pale pou tande konsèy mwen.
“When I spoke, people waited to hear [what I would say] and remained silent until I advised them [what they should do].
22 Apre pawòl pa m, yo pa t pale ankò, e pawòl mwen yo te etonnen yo.
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].
23 Yo te tann mwen tankou lapli. Yo te ouvri bouch yo pou bwe, konsi se pou lapli nan sezon prentan.
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].
24 Mwen te souri sou yo lè yo pa t kwè, e limyè a figi m pa t janm vin ba.
When they were discouraged, I smiled at them [to encourage them]; they became encouraged when they saw that I approved of them.
25 Mwen te chwazi yon chemen pou yo, te chita tankou chèf, e te demere tankou wa pami sòlda yo, tankou yon moun ki bay rekonfò a sila ki andèy yo.”
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.”
