Job 29
1 addidit quoque Iob adsumens 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 adulescentiae 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 adsurgentes 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 adherebat
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 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 vestivit 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 si quando 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 maerentium consolator
I chose out their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
