Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
addidit quoque Iob adsumens parabolam suam et dixit
2 “Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
quis mihi tribuat ut sim iuxta menses pristinos secundum dies quibus Deus custodiebat me
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
quando splendebat lucerna eius super caput meum et ad lumen eius ambulabam in tenebris
4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
sicut fui in diebus adulescentiae meae quando secreto Deus erat in tabernaculo meo
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
quando erat Omnipotens mecum et in circuitu meo pueri mei
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
quando lavabam pedes meos butyro et petra fundebat mihi rivos olei
7 when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
quando procedebam ad portam civitatis et in platea parabant cathedram mihi
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
videbant me iuvenes et abscondebantur et senes adsurgentes stabant
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
principes cessabant loqui et digitum superponebant ori suo
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
vocem suam cohibebant duces et lingua eorum gutturi suo adherebat
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
auris audiens beatificabat me et oculus videns testimonium reddebat mihi
12 because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
quod liberassem pauperem vociferantem et pupillum cui non esset adiutor
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
benedictio perituri super me veniebat et cor viduae consolatus sum
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
iustitia indutus sum et vestivit me sicut vestimento et diademate iudicio meo
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
oculus fui caeco et pes claudo
16 I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
pater eram pauperum et causam quam nesciebam diligentissime investigabam
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
conterebam molas iniqui et de dentibus illius auferebam praedam
18 Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
dicebamque in nidulo meo moriar et sicut palma multiplicabo dies
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
radix mea aperta est secus aquas et ros morabitur in messione mea
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
gloria mea semper innovabitur et arcus meus in manu mea instaurabitur
21 “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
qui me audiebant expectabant sententiam et intenti tacebant ad consilium meum
22 After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
verbis meis addere nihil audebant et super illos stillabat eloquium meum
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
expectabant me sicut pluviam et os suum aperiebant quasi ad imbrem serotinum
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
si quando ridebam ad eos non credebant et lux vultus mei non cadebat in terram
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
si voluissem ire ad eos sedebam primus cumque sederem quasi rex circumstante exercitu eram tamen maerentium consolator
