Giobbe 29
1 E GIOBBE riprese il suo ragionamento, e disse:
Job resumed speaking and said,
2 Oh! fossi io pure come a' mesi di prima, Come al tempo che Iddio mi guardava!
“Oh, that I were as I was in the past months when God cared for me,
3 Quando egli faceva rilucere la sua lampana sopra il mio capo, E [quando] io camminava al suo lume, per mezzo le tenebre;
when his lamp shined on my head, and when I walked through darkness by his light.
4 Come io era al tempo della mia giovanezza, Mentre il consiglio di Dio governava il mio tabernacolo;
Oh, that I were as I was in the ripeness of my days when the friendship of God was on my tent,
5 Mentre l'Onnipotente [era] ancora meco, [E] i miei famigli mi [erano] d'intorno;
when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
6 Mentre io lavava i miei passi nel burro, E le rocce versavano presso di me de' ruscelli d'olio.
when my way was covered with cream, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 Quando io andava fuori alla porta per la città, [O] mi faceva porre il mio seggio in su la piazza,
When I went out to the city gate, when I sat in my place in the city square,
8 I fanciulli, veggendomi, si nascondevano; E i vecchi si levavano, e stavano in piè;
the young men saw me and kept their distance from me in respect, and the aged people rose and stood for me.
9 I principali si rattenevano di parlare, E si mettevano la mano in su la bocca;
The princes used to refrain from talking when I came; they would lay their hand on their mouths.
10 La voce de' rettori era celata, E la lor lingua era attaccata al lor palato;
The voices of the noblemen were hushed, and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouths.
11 L'orecchio che [mi] udiva mi celebrava beato; L'occhio che [mi] vedeva mi rendeva testimonianza;
For after their ears heard me, they would then bless me; after their eyes saw me, they would then give witness to me and approve of me
12 Perciocchè io liberava il povero che gridava, E l'orfano che non avea chi l'aiutasse.
because I rescued the one who was poor when he cried out, and the one who had no father when he had no one to help him.
13 La benedizione di chi periva veniva sopra me; Ed io faceva cantare il cuor della vedova.
The blessing of him who was about to perish came on me; I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 Io mi vestiva di giustizia, ed [ella altresì] mi rivestiva; La mia dirittura [mi era] come un ammanto, e come una benda.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban.
15 Io era occhi al cieco, E piedi allo zoppo.
I was eyes to blind people; I was feet to lame people.
16 Io [era] padre a' bisognosi, E investigava la causa che mi era sconosciuta.
I was a father to needy people; I would examine the case even of one whom I did not know.
17 E rompeva i mascellari al perverso, E gli faceva gittar la preda d'infra i denti.
I broke the jaws of the unrighteous man; I plucked the victim out from between his teeth.
18 Onde io diceva: Io morrò nel mio nido, E moltiplicherò i [miei] giorni come la rena.
Then I said, 'I will die in my nest; I will multiply my days like the grains of sand.
19 La mia radice [era] aperta alle acque, E la rugiada era tutta la notte in su i miei rami.
My roots are spread out to the waters, and dew lies all night on my branches.
20 La mia gloria si rinnovava in me, E il mio arco si rinforzava in mano mia.
The honor in me is always fresh, and the bow of my strength is always new in my hand.'
21 [Altri] mi ascoltava, ed aspettava [che io avessi parlato]; E taceva al mio consiglio.
To me men listened; they waited for me; they stayed silent to hear my advice.
22 Dopo che io avea parlato, niuno replicava; E i miei ragionamenti stillavano sopra loro.
After my words were done, they did not speak again; my speech dropped like water on them.
23 Essi mi aspettavano come la pioggia, Ed aprivano la bocca, [come] dietro alla pioggia della stagione della ricolta.
They always waited for me as they waited for rain; they opened their mouth wide to drink in my words, as they would do for the latter rain.
24 [Se] io rideva verso loro, essi nol credevano, E non facevano scader la chiarezza della mia faccia.
I smiled on them when they did not expect it; they did not reject the light of my face.
25 [Se] mi piaceva d'andar con loro, io sedeva in capo, Ed abitava con loro come un re fra le [sue] schiere, E come una persona che consola quelli che fanno cordoglio.
I selected their way and sat as their chief; I lived like a king in his army, like one who comforts mourners.
