Giobbe 29
1 E GIOBBE riprese il suo ragionamento, e disse:
Job spoke again,
2 Oh! fossi io pure come a' mesi di prima, Come al tempo che Iddio mi guardava!
“I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.
3 Quando egli faceva rilucere la sua lampana sopra il mio capo, E [quando] io camminava al suo lume, per mezzo le tenebre;
During those years, [it was as though] God’s lamp [MET] shone on me and gave me light while I walked in the darkness.
4 Come io era al tempo della mia giovanezza, Mentre il consiglio di Dio governava il mio tabernacolo;
At that time I was young and strong, and because God was my friend, [he protected] [PRS] my tent.
5 Mentre l'Onnipotente [era] ancora meco, [E] i miei famigli mi [erano] d'intorno;
Almighty [God] was with me during those years when all my children were around me.
6 Mentre io lavava i miei passi nel burro, E le rocce versavano presso di me de' ruscelli d'olio.
[My herds] provided me with plenty of milk, and streams of oil flowed from the rock where my olives were pressed.
7 Quando io andava fuori alla porta per la città, [O] mi faceva porre il mio seggio in su la piazza,
“Whenever I went to [the place where the elders gathered at] the city gate, I sat down with them,
8 I fanciulli, veggendomi, si nascondevano; E i vecchi si levavano, e stavano in piè;
and when the young men saw me, they stepped aside [respectfully], and the old men [also] stood [respectfully].
9 I principali si rattenevano di parlare, E si mettevano la mano in su la bocca;
The leaders of the people stopped talking [DOU],
10 La voce de' rettori era celata, E la lor lingua era attaccata al lor palato;
and even the most important men became quiet and ceased talking [MTY] [in order to hear me speak to them].
11 L'orecchio che [mi] udiva mi celebrava beato; L'occhio che [mi] vedeva mi rendeva testimonianza;
When they [SYN] all heard [what I told them], they said good things about me. When they [SYN] saw me (OR, what I had done), they commended me,
12 Perciocchè io liberava il povero che gridava, E l'orfano che non avea chi l'aiutasse.
because I had helped the poor people when they cried out for help and I aided/helped orphans who had no one else to help them.
13 La benedizione di chi periva veniva sopra me; Ed io faceva cantare il cuor della vedova.
Those who were suffering and about to die praised [PRS] me, and I caused widows [SYN] to sing joyfully, [because of my helping them].
14 Io mi vestiva di giustizia, ed [ella altresì] mi rivestiva; La mia dirittura [mi era] come un ammanto, e come una benda.
I always acted justly; my continually doing that was like [MET] a robe that I wore and a turban [that was wrapped around my head].
15 Io era occhi al cieco, E piedi allo zoppo.
[It was as though] [MET] I was eyes for blind people and feet for people who were lame.
16 Io [era] padre a' bisognosi, E investigava la causa che mi era sconosciuta.
I was [like] [MET] a father to poor people, and in courts I defended those who were strangers.
17 E rompeva i mascellari al perverso, E gli faceva gittar la preda d'infra i denti.
My causing wicked people [to be unable to continue oppressing others was like] [MET] breaking the fangs [of fierce wild animals] and forcing them to drop from their teeth/mouths the animals that they had caught/seized.
18 Onde io diceva: Io morrò nel mio nido, E moltiplicherò i [miei] giorni come la rena.
“At that time I thought, ‘Surely I will live securely, until I am very old [SIM], and I will die at home [with my family].’
19 La mia radice [era] aperta alle acque, E la rugiada era tutta la notte in su i miei rami.
I was [like a tree] [MET] whose roots reach down into the water and whose branches become wet with dew each night.
20 La mia gloria si rinnovava in me, E il mio arco si rinforzava in mano mia.
People always honored me, and I was always [strong like] [MET] a new bow.
21 [Altri] mi ascoltava, ed aspettava [che io avessi parlato]; E taceva al mio consiglio.
“When I spoke, people waited to hear [what I would say] and remained silent until I advised them [what they should do].
22 Dopo che io avea parlato, niuno replicava; E i miei ragionamenti stillavano sopra loro.
After I finished speaking, they did not say any more; [it was as though] [MET] my words fell on their ears [like refreshing drops of rain].
23 Essi mi aspettavano come la pioggia, Ed aprivano la bocca, [come] dietro alla pioggia della stagione della ricolta.
They waited for me [to speak] like they wait for rain; they [appreciated what I said] like [MET] [farmers appreciate] the final rain in the spring [before the dry season].
24 [Se] io rideva verso loro, essi nol credevano, E non facevano scader la chiarezza della mia faccia.
When they were discouraged, I smiled at them [to encourage them]; they became encouraged when they saw that I approved of them.
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 was their leader, and I decided what things [would be good for them to do]; I was among them like [SIM] a king who is among his troops; I was like someone who comforts [others] who are mourning.”
