איוב 29
| וַיֹּסֶף אִיּוֹב שְׂאֵת מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | 1 |
And Job again took up his measure, and said,
| מִֽי־יִתְּנֵנִי כְיַרְחֵי־קֶדֶם כִּימֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵֽנִי׃ | 2 |
Oh that it were with me as in the months of old, as in the days, when, GOD, used to watch over me;
| בְּהִלּוֹ נֵרוֹ עֲלֵי רֹאשִׁי לְאוֹרוֹ אֵלֶךְ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ | 3 |
When his lamp shone over my head, by whose light, I could go through darkness;
| כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי בִּימֵי חָרְפִּי בְּסוֹד אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵי אָהֳלִֽי׃ | 4 |
As I was, in the days of my prime, when, the intimacy of GOD, was over my tent;
| בְּעוֹד שַׁדַּי עִמָּדִי סְבִיבוֹתַי נְעָרָֽי׃ | 5 |
While yet the Almighty was with me, round about me, were my young men;
| בִּרְחֹץ הֲלִיכַי בְּחֵמָה וְצוּר יָצוּק עִמָּדִי פַּלְגֵי־שָֽׁמֶן׃ | 6 |
When my steps were bathed in milk, and, the rock, poured out beside me, rivulets of oil:
| בְּצֵאתִי שַׁעַר עֲלֵי־קָרֶת בָּרְחוֹב אָכִין מוֹשָׁבִֽי׃ | 7 |
When I went out to the gate unto the city, in the open place, made ready my seat,
| רָאוּנִי נְעָרִים וְנֶחְבָּאוּ וִֽישִׁישִׁים קָמוּ עָמָֽדוּ׃ | 8 |
Young men saw me, and hid themselves, and, the aged, arose—they stood;
| שָׂרִים עָצְרוּ בְמִלִּים וְכַף יָשִׂימוּ לְפִיהֶֽם׃ | 9 |
Rulers, restrained speech, and, a hand, laid they on their mouth;
| קוֹל־נְגִידִים נֶחְבָּאוּ וּלְשׁוֹנָם לְחִכָּם דָּבֵֽקָה׃ | 10 |
The voice of nobles, was hushed, and their tongue to their palate, did cleave;
| כִּי אֹזֶן שָׁמְעָה וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵנִי וְעַיִן רָאֲתָה וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃ | 11 |
When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness;
| כִּֽי־אֲמַלֵּט עָנִי מְשַׁוֵּעַ וְיָתוֹם וְֽלֹא־עֹזֵר לֽוֹ׃ | 12 |
Because I used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him that had no helper;
| בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד עָלַי תָּבֹא וְלֵב אַלְמָנָה אַרְנִֽן׃ | 13 |
The blessing of him that was ready to perish, upon me was wont to descend, and, the heart of the widow, caused I to sing for joy;
| צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי כִּֽמְעִיל וְצָנִיף מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃ | 14 |
Righteousness, I put on, and it clothed me, Like a robe and turban, was my, justice;
| עֵינַיִם הָיִיתִי לַֽעִוֵּר וְרַגְלַיִם לַפִּסֵּחַ אָֽנִי׃ | 15 |
Eyes, became I to the, blind, and, feet to the lame, was, I!
| אָב אָנֹכִֽי לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִים וְרִב לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵֽהוּ׃ | 16 |
A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;
| וָֽאֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּעוֹת עַוָּל וּמִשִּׁנָּיו אַשְׁלִיךְ טָֽרֶף׃ | 17 |
And I shivered the fangs of the perverse, —and, out of his teeth, I tare the prey.
| וָאֹמַר עִם־קִנִּי אֶגְוָע וְכַחוֹל אַרְבֶּה יָמִֽים׃ | 18 |
Then said I, Like a stem, shall I grow old, yea, as the sand, shall I multiply days:
| שָׁרְשִׁי פָתוּחַ אֱלֵי־מָיִם וְטַל יָלִין בִּקְצִירֽ͏ִי׃ | 19 |
My root, is laid open to the waters, and, the dew, shall lodge for the night in my boughs;
| כְּבוֹדִי חָדָשׁ עִמָּדִי וְקַשְׁתִּי בְּיָדִי תַחֲלִֽיף׃ | 20 |
Mine honour, shall be young again with me, and, my bow, in my hand, be renewed.
| לִֽי־שָׁמְעוּ וְיִחֵלּוּ וְיִדְּמוּ לְמוֹ עֲצָתִֽי׃ | 21 |
To me, men hearkened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel;
| אַחֲרֵי דְבָרִי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ וְעָלֵימוֹ תִּטֹּף מִלָּתִֽי׃ | 22 |
After I had spoken, they spake not again, and, upon them, used my speech to drop;
| וְיִֽחֲלוּ כַמָּטָר לִי וּפִיהֶם פָּעֲרוּ לְמַלְקֽוֹשׁ׃ | 23 |
And they waited, as for rain, for me, and, their mouths, they opened wide for the spring-rain;
| אֶשְׂחַק אֲלֵהֶם לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ וְאוֹר פָּנַי לֹא יַפִּילֽוּן׃ | 24 |
I laughed at them—they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;
| אֶֽבֲחַר דַּרְכָּם וְאֵשֵׁב רֹאשׁ וְאֶשְׁכּוֹן כְּמֶלֶךְ בַּגְּדוּד כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵֽם׃ | 25 |
I chose out their way, and sat chief, —and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.
