Job 29
1 Addidit quoque Iob, assumens parabolam suam, et dixit:
And Job again took up his parable, and said:
2 Quis mihi tribuat, ut sim iuxta menses pristinos secundum dies, quibus Deus custodiebat me?
Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
3 Quando splendebat lucerna eius super caput meum, et ad lumen eius ambulabam in tenebris?
When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness;
4 Sicut fui in diebus adolescentiae meae, quando secreto Deus erat in tabernaculo meo?
As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse of God was upon my tent;
5 Quando erat Omnipotens mecum: et in circuitu meo pueri mei?
When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me;
6 Quando lavabam pedes meos butyro, et petra fundebat mihi rivos olei?
When my steps were washed with butter, 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 unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the broad place,
8 Videbant me iuvenes, et abscondebantur: et senes assurgentes stabant.
The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood;
9 Principes cessabant loqui, et digitum superponebant ori suo.
The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;
10 Vocem suam cohibebant duces, et lingua eorum gutturi suo adhaerebat.
The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 Auris audiens beatificabat me, et oculus videns testimonium reddebat mihi.
For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me;
12 Eo quod liberassem pauperem vociferantem, et pupillum, cui non esset adiutor.
Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.
13 Benedictio perituri super me veniebat, et cor viduae consolatus sum.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 Iustitia indutus sum: et vestivi me, sicut vestimento et diademate, iudicio meo.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; my justice was as a robe and a diadem.
15 Oculus fui caeco, 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 needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
17 Conterebam molas iniqui, et de dentibus illius auferebam praedam.
And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 Dicebamque: In nidulo meo moriar, et sicut palma multiplicabo dies.
Then I said: 'I shall die with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix;
19 Radix mea aperta est secus aquas, et ros morabitur in messione mea.
My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew shall lie all night upon my branch;
20 Gloria mea semper innovabitur, et arcus meus in manu mea instaurabitur.
My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow shall be renewed in my hand.'
21 Qui me audiebant, expectabant sententiam, et intenti tacebant ad consilium meum.
Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
22 Verbis meis addere nihil audebant, et super illos stillabat eloquium meum.
After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 Expectabant me sicut pluviam, et os suum aperiebant quasi ad imbrem serotinum.
And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 Siquando ridebam ad eos, non credebant, et lux vultus mei non cadebat in terram.
If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
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 as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
