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