Siope 29
1 Ka naʻe fai ai pe ʻe Siope ʻene lea mamafa, ʻo ne pehē,
Job resumed speaking and said,
2 “Taumaiā kuo u tatau eni mo e ngaahi māhina kuo hili ange, ʻo hangē ko e ngaahi ʻaho naʻe maluʻi ai au ʻe he ʻOtua;
“Oh, that I were as I was in the past months when God cared for me,
3 ʻI he kei ulo ʻa ʻene maama ki hoku ʻulu, pea u ʻalu mo ʻene maama ʻi he fakapoʻuli;
when his lamp shined on my head, and when I walked through darkness by his light.
4 ʻO hangē ko ʻeku nofo ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻeku monūʻia, ʻi he fakataha ʻae kakai ʻoe ʻOtua ʻi hoku fale;
Oh, that I were as I was in the ripeness of my days when the friendship of God was on my tent,
5 ʻI he kei ʻiate au ʻae Māfimafi, pea ʻiate au mo ʻeku fānau;
when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
6 ʻI he tafe ʻae pota ʻi hoku hala, pea lilingi mai ʻe he maka ʻae lolo lahi ʻaupito;
when my way was covered with cream, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 ʻI heʻeku ʻalu atu ʻi he loto kolo ki he matapā, pea teuʻi hoku nofoʻanga ʻi he hala lahi!
When I went out to the city gate, when I sat in my place in the city square,
8 Naʻe sio kiate au ʻae kau talavou, ʻonau toitoi: pea tutuʻu ki ʻolunga ʻae kau mātuʻa.
the young men saw me and kept their distance from me in respect, and the aged people rose and stood for me.
9 Naʻe taʻofi ʻe he ngaahi ʻeiki ʻenau alea, ʻo ʻai honau nima ki honau ngutu.
The princes used to refrain from talking when I came; they would lay their hand on their mouths.
10 Naʻe longo pe ʻae houʻeiki, pea piki honau ʻelelo ki honau ʻoʻaoʻingutu.
The voices of the noblemen were hushed, and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouths.
11 ʻI he ongoʻi au ʻe he telinga, ne ne tāpuakiʻi au; pea ʻi he mamata ʻae mata kiate au, naʻa ne fakamoʻoniʻi au:
For after their ears heard me, they would then bless me; after their eyes saw me, they would then give witness to me and approve of me
12 He naʻaku fakahaofia ʻae masiva naʻe tangi, ʻae tamai mate, mo ia naʻe ʻikai hano tokoni.
because I rescued the one who was poor when he cried out, and the one who had no father when he had no one to help him.
13 Ko e tāpuaki ʻo ia naʻe meimei mate ne hoko kiate au: pea naʻaku fakafiefiaʻi ke hiva ʻae loto ʻoe fefine kuo mate hono husepāniti.
The blessing of him who was about to perish came on me; I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 Ne u ai ʻae māʻoniʻoni, pea ne ʻufiʻufi ʻaki au: naʻe tatau ʻeku fakamaau mo e pulupulu mo e pale.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban.
15 Ko e mata au ki he kui, mo e vaʻe ki he ketu.
I was eyes to blind people; I was feet to lame people.
16 Ko e tamai au ki he masiva: pea ko e meʻa naʻe ʻikai te u ʻiloʻi ne u kumi lahi ki ai.
I was a father to needy people; I would examine the case even of one whom I did not know.
17 Naʻaku fesiʻi ʻae kouʻahe ʻoe fai kovi, ʻo toʻo ʻae meʻa faʻao mei hono nifo.
I broke the jaws of the unrighteous man; I plucked the victim out from between his teeth.
18 Pea u toki pehē, ‘Te u mate ʻi hoku pununga, pea te u fakalahi hoku ngaahi ʻaho ke hangē ko e ʻoneʻone.
Then I said, 'I will die in my nest; I will multiply my days like the grains of sand.
19 Naʻe mafola hoku aka ʻi he ngaahi veʻe vai, pea toka ʻae hahau ki hoku vaʻa ʻi he pō kotoa.
My roots are spread out to the waters, and dew lies all night on my branches.
20 Ko hoku ongoongolelei naʻe maʻuiʻui pe, pea naʻe fakafoʻou ʻeku kaufana ʻi hoku nima.’
The honor in me is always fresh, and the bow of my strength is always new in my hand.'
21 “Naʻe fakafanongo ʻae kakai kiate au, ʻo tatali, pea fakalongo pē ʻi heʻeku akonaki.
To me men listened; they waited for me; they stayed silent to hear my advice.
22 Hili ʻeku lea naʻe ʻikai te nau tali; pea naʻe tō ʻeku lea kiate kinautolu.
After my words were done, they did not speak again; my speech dropped like water on them.
23 Pea naʻa nau tatali kiate au ʻo hangē ki he ʻuha: pea nau fakamanga lahi honau ngutu ʻo hangē ki he ʻuha mui.
They always waited for me as they waited for rain; they opened their mouth wide to drink in my words, as they would do for the latter rain.
24 Ne u kata kiate kinautolu, pea ʻikai te nau faʻa tui; pea ko e maama ʻo hoku mata naʻe ʻikai ke nau lī ki lalo.
I smiled on them when they did not expect it; they did not reject the light of my face.
25 Naʻaku fili honau hala, ʻo nofo ko e ʻeiki, ne u nofo ʻo hangē ha tuʻi ʻi he kautau, pea hangē ha taha ʻoku ne fakafiemālieʻi ʻae kakai mamahi.
I selected their way and sat as their chief; I lived like a king in his army, like one who comforts mourners.
