< Job 29 >

1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
Job mah a thuih ih patahhaih lok to patomh poe;
2 “Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
aw kai loe kalaem tangcae khrah, Sithaw mah khetzawnhaih ni thuem ih baktiah om let nasoe;
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
ka lu nuiah angmah ih hmaithawk to paang moe, anih aanghaih hoiah khoving thungah kam kaeh;
4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
ka qoengh li nathuem ih aninawk baktih, ka im ah Sithaw angkomhaih oh nathuem ih aninawk baktiah om let nasoe;
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
lensawk Sithaw kai khaeah oh moe, ka caanawk hoi nawnto oh o;
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
maitaw tahnutui hoiah khok to ka pasaeh, thlung thung hoiah situi to tui baktiah long;
7 when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
vangpui khongkha ah ka caeh moe, lampui ah kang hnut,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
thendoengnawk mah kai ang hnuk o naah, anghawk o ving; mitongnawk loe angthawk o moe, angdoet o.
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
Angraengnawk loe lokthui o ai, pakha to ban hoiah tamuep o.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
Toksah angraengnawk doeh lok apae o ai, palai to angsumh o.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
Naa mah ka lok thaih naah, kai han tahamhoihaih ang paek; mik mah kai hnuk naah, kai hnukung ah oh;
12 because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
tipongah tih nahaeloe amtang kami, amno ampa tawn ai kami, bomkung tawn ai kami hang naah ka bomh pongah ni.
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
Kadueh tom kami mah tahamhoihaih ang paek moe, lamhmai to anghoehaih laasak hanah palung kang hoesak.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
Toenghaih to khukbuen ah kang khuk, ka toenghaih loe kahni baktih, lumuek baktiah oh.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
Mikmaengnawk hanah mik ah ka oh moe, khokkhaem kaminawk hanah khok ah ka oh.
16 I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
Amtang kaminawk hanah ampa ah ka oh moe, angvinnawk ih lok ka tahngaih pae.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
Kasae kaminawk ih ano to ka khaeh pae moe, anih mah kaek ih kaminawk to ka pahlong.
18 Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
To pacoengah, ka hinghaih aninawk loe savuet baktiah pop, kai loe kaimah ih im ah ni ka dueh tih.
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
Kai ih tangzun loe tui taengah pha ueloe, aqum puek ka tanghang nuiah dantui angbuem tih.
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
Ka lensawkhaih loe cak poe ueloe, ka ban ih kalii doeh tha om let tih.
21 “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
Kaminawk mah ka lok to tahngaih o, ka thuih ih lok to aek o ai.
22 After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
Lok ka thuih pacoengah, mi doeh lok apae o ai boeh; ka thuih ih lok loe nihcae nuiah tui baktiah ca.
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
Nihcae mah khotui zing o baktih toengah kai to ang zing o, hnukkhuem ih khotui kazing baktiah pakha to kalen ah a angh o.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
Nihcae ka pahnui thuih naah, nihcae mah tang o ai; ka mikhmai aanghaih to a hnuk o naah, ka mikhmai aanghaih to anghmaa o sak thai ai.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
Nihcae ih loklam to ka qoih moe, kahoih koek ahmuen ah kang hnut, palungsae kami pathloepkung baktih, misatuh kaminawk salak ih siangpahrang baktiah kang hnut, tiah ka thuih.

< Job 29 >