Job 29
1 Addidit quoque Iob, assumens parabolam suam, et dixit:
Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
2 Quis mihi tribuat, ut sim iuxta menses pristinos secundum dies, quibus Deus custodiebat me?
O that I were as in months past, In the days when God was my guardian;
3 Quando splendebat lucerna eius super caput meum, et ad lumen eius ambulabam in tenebris?
When his lamp shined over my head, And when by his light I walked through darkness!
4 Sicut fui in diebus adolescentiæ meæ, quando secreto Deus erat in tabernaculo meo?
As I was in the autumn of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;
5 Quando erat Omnipotens mecum: et in circuitu meo pueri mei?
When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
6 Quando lavabam pedes meos butyro, et petra fundebat mihi rivos olei?
When I bathed my steps in milk, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
7 Quando procedebam ad portam civitatis, et in platea parabant cathedram mihi?
When I went forth to the gate by the city, And took my seat in the market-place,
8 Videbant me iuvenes, et abscondebantur: et senes assurgentes stabant.
The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged arose and stood.
9 Principes cessabant loqui, et digitum superponebant ori suo.
The princes refrained from speaking, And laid their hand upon their mouth.
10 Vocem suam cohibebant duces, et lingua eorum gutturi suo adhærebat.
The nobles held their peace, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 Auris audiens beatificabat me, et oculus videns testimonium reddebat mihi.
When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.
12 Eo quod liberassem pauperem vociferantem, et pupillum, cui non esset adiutor.
For I delivered the poor, when they cried; And the fatherless, who had none to help him.
13 Benedictio perituri super me veniebat, et cor viduæ consolatus sum.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, And I caused the heart of the widow to sing for joy.
14 Iustitia indutus sum: et vestivi me, sicut vestimento et diademate, iudicio meo.
I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; And justice was my robe and diadem.
15 Oculus fui cæco, et pes claudo.
I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame;
16 Pater eram pauperum: et causam quam nesciebam, diligentissime investigabam.
I was a father to the poor, And the cause of him I knew not I searched out;
17 Conterebam molas iniqui, et de dentibus illius auferebam prædam.
And I broke the teeth of the wicked, And plucked the spoil from his jaws.
18 Dicebamque: In nidulo meo moriar, et sicut palma multiplicabo dies.
Then said I, “I shall die in my nest; I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 Radix mea aperta est secus aquas, et ros morabitur in messione mea.
My root is spread abroad to the waters, And the dew abideth on my branches.
20 Gloria mea semper innovabitur, et arcus meus in manu mea instaurabitur.
My glory is fresh with me, And my bow gathereth strength in my hand.”
21 Qui me audiebant, expectabant sententiam, et intenti tacebant ad consilium meum.
To me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
22 Verbis meis addere nihil audebant, et super illos stillabat eloquium meum.
To my words they made no reply, When my speech dropped down upon them.
23 Expectabant me sicut pluviam, et os suum aperiebant quasi ad imbrem serotinum.
Yea, they waited for me as for the rain; They opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.
24 Siquando ridebam ad eos, non credebant, et lux vultus mei non cadebat in terram.
If I smiled upon them, they believed it not; Nor did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.
25 Si voluissem ire ad eos, sedebam primus: cumque sederem quasi rex, circumstante exercitu, eram tamen mœrentium consolator.
When I came among them, I sat as chief; I dwelt as a king in the midst of an army, As a comforter among mourners.
