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