Job 29
1 Addidit quoque Job, assumens parabolam suam, et dixit:
And Job again took up the word and said,
2 Quis mihi tribuat ut sim juxta menses pristinos, secundum dies quibus Deus custodiebat me?
If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!
3 Quando splendebat lucerna ejus super caput meum, et ad lumen ejus ambulabam in tenebris:
When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.
4 sicut fui in diebus adolescentiæ meæ, quando secreto Deus erat in tabernaculo meo:
As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;
5 quando erat Omnipotens mecum, et in circuitu meo pueri mei:
While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;
6 quando lavabam pedes meos butyro, et petra fundebat mihi rivos olei:
When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.
7 quando procedebam ad portam civitatis, et in platea parabant cathedram mihi.
When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,
8 Videbant me juvenes, et abscondebantur: et senes assurgentes stabant.
The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;
9 Principes cessabant loqui, et digitum superponebant ori suo.
The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;
10 Vocem suam cohibebant duces, et lingua eorum gutturi suo adhærebat.
The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.
11 Auris audiens beatificabat me, et oculus videns testimonium reddebat mihi:
For when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me;
12 eo quod liberassem pauperem vociferantem, et pupillum cui non esset adjutor.
For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.
13 Benedictio perituri super me veniebat, et cor viduæ consolatus sum.
The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.
14 Justitia indutus sum, et vestivi me, sicut vestimento et diademate, judicio meo.
I put on righteousness as my clothing, and was full of it; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.
15 Oculus fui cæco, et pes claudo.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.
16 Pater eram pauperum, et causam quam nesciebam diligentissime investigabam.
I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.
17 Conterebam molas iniqui, et de dentibus illius auferebam prædam.
By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.
18 Dicebamque: In nidulo meo moriar, et sicut palma multiplicabo dies.
Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;
19 Radix mea aperta est secus aquas, et ros morabitur in messione mea.
My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,
20 Gloria mea semper innovabitur, et arcus meus in manu mea instaurabitur.
My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.
21 Qui me audiebant, expectabant sententiam, et intenti tacebant ad consilium meum.
Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.
22 Verbis meis addere nihil audebant, et super illos stillabat eloquium meum.
After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;
23 Expectabant me sicut pluviam, et os suum aperiebant quasi ad imbrem serotinum.
They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.
24 Siquando ridebam ad eos, non credebant: et lux vultus mei non cadebat in terram.
I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.
25 Si voluissem ire ad eos, sedebam primus: cumque sederem quasi rex, circumstante exercitu, eram tamen mœrentium consolator.
I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...
