איוב 29
| וַיֹּסֶף אִיּוֹב שְׂאֵת מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | 1 |
Job spoke again,
| מִֽי־יִתְּנֵנִי כְיַרְחֵי־קֶדֶם כִּימֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵֽנִי׃ | 2 |
“I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.
| בְּהִלּוֹ נֵרוֹ עֲלֵי רֹאשִׁי לְאוֹרוֹ אֵלֶךְ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ | 3 |
During those years, [it was as though] God’s lamp [MET] shone on me and gave me light while I walked in the darkness.
| כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי בִּימֵי חׇרְפִּי בְּסוֹד אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵי אׇהֳלִֽי׃ | 4 |
At that time I was young and strong, and because God was my friend, [he protected] [PRS] my tent.
| בְּעוֹד שַׁדַּי עִמָּדִי סְבִיבוֹתַי נְעָרָֽי׃ | 5 |
Almighty [God] was with me during those years when all my children were around me.
| בִּרְחֹץ הֲלִיכַי בְּחֵמָה וְצוּר יָצוּק עִמָּדִי פַּלְגֵי־שָֽׁמֶן׃ | 6 |
[My herds] provided me with plenty of milk, and streams of oil flowed from the rock where my olives were pressed.
| בְּצֵאתִי שַׁעַר עֲלֵי־קָרֶת בָּרְחוֹב אָכִין מוֹשָׁבִֽי׃ | 7 |
“Whenever I went to [the place where the elders gathered at] the city gate, I sat down with them,
| רָאוּנִי נְעָרִים וְנֶחְבָּאוּ וִישִׁישִׁים קָמוּ עָמָֽדוּ׃ | 8 |
and when the young men saw me, they stepped aside [respectfully], and the old men [also] stood [respectfully].
| שָׂרִים עָצְרוּ בְמִלִּים וְכַף יָשִׂימוּ לְפִיהֶֽם׃ | 9 |
The leaders of the people stopped talking [DOU],
| קוֹל־נְגִידִים נֶחְבָּאוּ וּלְשׁוֹנָם לְחִכָּם דָּבֵֽקָה׃ | 10 |
and even the most important men became quiet and ceased talking [MTY] [in order to hear me speak to them].
| כִּי אֹזֶן שָׁמְעָה וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵנִי וְעַיִן רָאֲתָה וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃ | 11 |
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,
| כִּֽי־אֲמַלֵּט עָנִי מְשַׁוֵּעַ וְיָתוֹם וְֽלֹא־עֹזֵר לֽוֹ׃ | 12 |
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.
| בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד עָלַי תָּבֹא וְלֵב אַלְמָנָה אַרְנִֽן׃ | 13 |
Those who were suffering and about to die praised [PRS] me, and I caused widows [SYN] to sing joyfully, [because of my helping them].
| צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי כִּמְעִיל וְצָנִיף מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃ | 14 |
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].
| עֵינַיִם הָיִיתִי לַעִוֵּר וְרַגְלַיִם לַפִּסֵּחַ אָֽנִי׃ | 15 |
[It was as though] [MET] I was eyes for blind people and feet for people who were lame.
| אָב אָנֹכִֽי לָאֶבְיוֹנִים וְרִב לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵֽהוּ׃ | 16 |
I was [like] [MET] a father to poor people, and in courts I defended those who were strangers.
| וָאֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּעוֹת עַוָּל וּמִשִּׁנָּיו אַשְׁלִיךְ טָֽרֶף׃ | 17 |
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.
| וָאֹמַר עִם־קִנִּי אֶגְוָע וְכַחוֹל אַרְבֶּה יָמִֽים׃ | 18 |
“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].’
| שׇׁרְשִׁי פָתוּחַ אֱלֵי־מָיִם וְטַל יָלִין בִּקְצִירִֽי׃ | 19 |
I was [like a tree] [MET] whose roots reach down into the water and whose branches become wet with dew each night.
| כְּבוֹדִי חָדָשׁ עִמָּדִי וְקַשְׁתִּי בְּיָדִי תַחֲלִֽיף׃ | 20 |
People always honored me, and I was always [strong like] [MET] a new bow.
| לִֽי־שָׁמְעוּ וְיִחֵלּוּ וְיִדְּמוּ לְמוֹ עֲצָתִֽי׃ | 21 |
“When I spoke, people waited to hear [what I would say] and remained silent until I advised them [what they should do].
| אַחֲרֵי דְבָרִי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ וְעָלֵימוֹ תִּטֹּף מִלָּתִֽי׃ | 22 |
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].
| וְיִחֲלוּ כַמָּטָר לִי וּפִיהֶם פָּעֲרוּ לְמַלְקֽוֹשׁ׃ | 23 |
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].
| אֶשְׂחַק אֲלֵהֶם לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ וְאוֹר פָּנַי לֹא יַפִּילֽוּן׃ | 24 |
When they were discouraged, I smiled at them [to encourage them]; they became encouraged when they saw that I approved of them.
| אֶבְחַר דַּרְכָּם וְאֵשֵׁב רֹאשׁ וְאֶשְׁכּוֹן כְּמֶלֶךְ בַּגְּדוּד כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵֽם׃ | 25 |
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.”
