Job 29
1 Addidit quoque Iob, assumens parabolam suam, et dixit:
And Job continued and said in his parable,
2 Quis mihi tribuat, ut sim iuxta menses pristinos secundum dies, quibus Deus custodiebat me?
Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!
3 Quando splendebat lucerna eius super caput meum, et ad lumen eius ambulabam in tenebris?
As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.
4 Sicut fui in diebus adolescentiae meae, quando secreto Deus erat in tabernaculo meo?
[As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.
5 Quando erat Omnipotens mecum: et in circuitu meo pueri mei?
When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;
6 Quando lavabam pedes meos butyro, et petra fundebat mihi rivos olei?
when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.
7 Quando procedebam ad portam civitatis, et in platea parabant cathedram mihi?
When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.
8 Videbant me iuvenes, et abscondebantur: et senes assurgentes stabant.
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.
9 Principes cessabant loqui, et digitum superponebant ori suo.
And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
10 Vocem suam cohibebant duces, et lingua eorum gutturi suo adhaerebat.
And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.
11 Auris audiens beatificabat me, et oculus videns testimonium reddebat mihi.
For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.
12 Eo quod liberassem pauperem vociferantem, et pupillum, cui non esset adiutor.
For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.
13 Benedictio perituri super me veniebat, et cor viduae consolatus sum.
Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yes, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.
14 Iustitia indutus sum: et vestivi me, sicut vestimento et diademate, iudicio meo.
Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgement like a mantle.
15 Oculus fui caeco, et pes claudo.
I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.
16 Pater eram pauperum: et causam quam nesciebam, diligentissime investigabam.
I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.
17 Conterebam molas iniqui, et de dentibus illius auferebam praedam.
And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.
18 Dicebamque: In nidulo meo moriar, et sicut palma multiplicabo dies.
And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm tree; I shall live a long while.
19 Radix mea aperta est secus aquas, et ros morabitur in messione mea.
[My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.
20 Gloria mea semper innovabitur, et arcus meus in manu mea instaurabitur.
My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.
21 Qui me audiebant, expectabant sententiam, et intenti tacebant ad consilium meum.
[Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.
22 Verbis meis addere nihil audebant, et super illos stillabat eloquium meum.
At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.
23 Expectabant me sicut pluviam, et os suum aperiebant quasi ad imbrem serotinum.
As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.
24 Siquando ridebam ad eos, non credebant, et lux vultus mei non cadebat in terram.
Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.
25 Si voluissem ire ad eos, sedebam primus: cumque sederem quasi rex, circumstante exercitu, eram tamen moerentium consolator.
I chose out their way, and sat chief, and lived as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.
