איוב 29

1 ויסף איוב שאת משלו ויאמר׃

And Job continued and said in his parable,

2 מי יתנני כירחי קדם כימי אלוה ישמרני׃

Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!

3 בהלו נרו עלי ראשי לאורו אלך חשך׃

As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.

4 כאשר הייתי בימי חרפי בסוד אלוה עלי אהלי׃

[As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.

5 בעוד שדי עמדי סביבותי נערי׃

When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;

6 ברחץ הליכי בחמה וצור יצוק עמדי פלגי שמן׃

when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.

7 בצאתי שער עלי קרת ברחוב אכין מושבי׃

When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.

8 ראוני נערים ונחבאו וישישים קמו עמדו׃

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.

9 שרים עצרו במלים וכף ישימו לפיהם׃

And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.

10 קול נגידים נחבאו ולשונם לחכם דבקה׃

And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.

11 כי אזן שמעה ותאשרני ועין ראתה ותעידני׃

For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.

12 כי אמלט עני משוע ויתום ולא עזר לו׃

For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.

13 ברכת אבד עלי תבא ולב אלמנה ארנן׃

Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yes, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.

14 צדק לבשתי וילבשני כמעיל וצניף משפטי׃

Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgement like a mantle.

15 עינים הייתי לעור ורגלים לפסח אני׃

I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.

16 אב אנכי לאביונים ורב לא ידעתי אחקרהו׃

I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.

17 ואשברה מתלעות עול ומשניו אשליך טרף׃

And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.

18 ואמר עם קני אגוע וכחול ארבה ימים׃

And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm tree; I shall live a long while.

19 שרשי פתוח אלי מים וטל ילין בקצירי׃

[My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.

20 כבודי חדש עמדי וקשתי בידי תחליף׃

My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.

21 לי שמעו ויחלו וידמו למו עצתי׃

[Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.

22 אחרי דברי לא ישנו ועלימו תטף מלתי׃

At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.

23 ויחלו כמטר לי ופיהם פערו למלקוש׃

As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.

24 אשחק אלהם לא יאמינו ואור פני לא יפילון׃

Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.

25 אבחר דרכם ואשב ראש ואשכון כמלך בגדוד כאשר אבלים ינחם׃

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and lived as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.