Giobbe 29
1 E GIOBBE riprese il suo ragionamento, e disse:
And Job again took up the word and said,
2 Oh! fossi io pure come a' mesi di prima, Come al tempo che Iddio mi guardava!
If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!
3 Quando egli faceva rilucere la sua lampana sopra il mio capo, E [quando] io camminava al suo lume, per mezzo le tenebre;
When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.
4 Come io era al tempo della mia giovanezza, Mentre il consiglio di Dio governava il mio tabernacolo;
As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;
5 Mentre l'Onnipotente [era] ancora meco, [E] i miei famigli mi [erano] d'intorno;
While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;
6 Mentre io lavava i miei passi nel burro, E le rocce versavano presso di me de' ruscelli d'olio.
When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.
7 Quando io andava fuori alla porta per la città, [O] mi faceva porre il mio seggio in su la piazza,
When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,
8 I fanciulli, veggendomi, si nascondevano; E i vecchi si levavano, e stavano in piè;
The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;
9 I principali si rattenevano di parlare, E si mettevano la mano in su la bocca;
The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;
10 La voce de' rettori era celata, E la lor lingua era attaccata al lor palato;
The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.
11 L'orecchio che [mi] udiva mi celebrava beato; L'occhio che [mi] vedeva mi rendeva testimonianza;
For when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me;
12 Perciocchè io liberava il povero che gridava, E l'orfano che non avea chi l'aiutasse.
For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.
13 La benedizione di chi periva veniva sopra me; Ed io faceva cantare il cuor della vedova.
The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.
14 Io mi vestiva di giustizia, ed [ella altresì] mi rivestiva; La mia dirittura [mi era] come un ammanto, e come una benda.
I put on righteousness as my clothing, and was full of it; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.
15 Io era occhi al cieco, E piedi allo zoppo.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.
16 Io [era] padre a' bisognosi, E investigava la causa che mi era sconosciuta.
I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.
17 E rompeva i mascellari al perverso, E gli faceva gittar la preda d'infra i denti.
By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.
18 Onde io diceva: Io morrò nel mio nido, E moltiplicherò i [miei] giorni come la rena.
Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;
19 La mia radice [era] aperta alle acque, E la rugiada era tutta la notte in su i miei rami.
My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,
20 La mia gloria si rinnovava in me, E il mio arco si rinforzava in mano mia.
My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.
21 [Altri] mi ascoltava, ed aspettava [che io avessi parlato]; E taceva al mio consiglio.
Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.
22 Dopo che io avea parlato, niuno replicava; E i miei ragionamenti stillavano sopra loro.
After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;
23 Essi mi aspettavano come la pioggia, Ed aprivano la bocca, [come] dietro alla pioggia della stagione della ricolta.
They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.
24 [Se] io rideva verso loro, essi nol credevano, E non facevano scader la chiarezza della mia faccia.
I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.
25 [Se] mi piaceva d'andar con loro, io sedeva in capo, Ed abitava con loro come un re fra le [sue] schiere, E come una persona che consola quelli che fanno cordoglio.
I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...
