Job 29

1 Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:

Ka naʻe fai ai pe ʻe Siope ʻene lea mamafa, ʻo ne pehē,

2 Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?

“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;

3 When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?

‌ʻI he kei ulo ʻa ʻene maama ki hoku ʻulu, pea u ʻalu mo ʻene maama ʻi he fakapoʻuli;

4 As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?

‌ʻO hangē ko ʻeku nofo ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻeku monūʻia, ʻi he fakataha ʻae kakai ʻoe ʻOtua ʻi hoku fale;

5 When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?

‌ʻI he kei ʻiate au ʻae Māfimafi, pea ʻiate au mo ʻeku fānau;

6 When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil?

‌ʻI he tafe ʻae pota ʻi hoku hala, pea lilingi mai ʻe he maka ʻae lolo lahi ʻaupito;

7 When I went out to the gate of the city, and in the street they prepared me a chair?

‌ʻI heʻeku ʻalu atu ʻi he loto kolo ki he matapā, pea teuʻi hoku nofoʻanga ʻi he hala lahi!

8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up and stood.

Naʻe sio kiate au ʻae kau talavou, ʻonau toitoi: pea tutuʻu ki ʻolunga ʻae kau mātuʻa.

9 The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.

Naʻe taʻofi ʻe he ngaahi ʻeiki ʻenau alea, ʻo ʻai honau nima ki honau ngutu.

10 The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.

Naʻe longo pe ʻae houʻeiki, pea piki honau ʻelelo ki honau ʻoʻaoʻingutu.

11 The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:

‌ʻI he ongoʻi au ʻe he telinga, ne ne tāpuakiʻi au; pea ʻi he mamata ʻae mata kiate au, naʻa ne fakamoʻoniʻi au:

12 Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that had no helper.

He naʻaku fakahaofia ʻae masiva naʻe tangi, ʻae tamai mate, mo ia naʻe ʻikai hano tokoni.

13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.

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.

14 I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment, as with a robe and a diadem.

Ne u ai ʻae māʻoniʻoni, pea ne ʻufiʻufi ʻaki au: naʻe tatau ʻeku fakamaau mo e pulupulu mo e pale.

15 I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame.

Ko e mata au ki he kui, mo e vaʻe ki he ketu.

16 I was the father of the poor: and the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.

Ko e tamai au ki he masiva: pea ko e meʻa naʻe ʻikai te u ʻiloʻi ne u kumi lahi ki ai.

17 I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.

Naʻaku fesiʻi ʻae kouʻahe ʻoe fai kovi, ʻo toʻo ʻae meʻa faʻao mei hono nifo.

18 And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.

Pea u toki pehē, ‘Te u mate ʻi hoku pununga, pea te u fakalahi hoku ngaahi ʻaho ke hangē ko e ʻoneʻone.

19 My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.

Naʻe mafola hoku aka ʻi he ngaahi veʻe vai, pea toka ʻae hahau ki hoku vaʻa ʻi he pō kotoa.

20 My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.

Ko hoku ongoongolelei naʻe maʻuiʻui pe, pea naʻe fakafoʻou ʻeku kaufana ʻi hoku nima.’

21 They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.

“Naʻe fakafanongo ʻae kakai kiate au, ʻo tatali, pea fakalongo pē ʻi heʻeku akonaki.

22 To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.

Hili ʻeku lea naʻe ʻikai te nau tali; pea naʻe tō ʻeku lea kiate kinautolu.

23 They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for a latter shower.

Pea naʻa nau tatali kiate au ʻo hangē ki he ʻuha: pea nau fakamanga lahi honau ngutu ʻo hangē ki he ʻuha mui.

24 If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.

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.

25 If I had a mind to go to them, I sat first, and when I sat as a king, with his army standing about him, yet I was a comforter of them that mourned.

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.