Job 29

vayyosef iyyov se'et meshalo vayyomar

Job again took up his theme and said:

mi-yitteneni kheyarkhe-qedem kime eloah yishmereni

O that I were as in months gone by, In the days when God watched over me,

behillo nero ale roshi le'oro elekh khoshekh

When God’s lamp shone over my head, When I walked in the dark by its light,

ka'asher hayiti bime khorpi besod eloah ale oholi

When I was in my prime, When God’s company graced my tent,

be'od shadday immadi sevivotay ne'aray

When Shaddai was still with me, When my attendants surrounded me,

birkhots halikhay bekhemah vetsur yatsuq immadi palge-shamen

When my feet were bathed in cream, And rocks poured out streams of oil for me.

betseti sha'ar ale-qaret barekhov akhin moshavi

When I passed through the city gates To take my seat in the square,

ra'uni ne'arim venekhba'u vishishim qamu amadu

Young men saw me and hid, Elders rose and stood;

sarim atseru vemillim vekhaf yasimu lefihem

Nobles held back their words; They clapped their hands to their mouths.

qol-negidim nekhba'u uleshonam lekhikkam daveqah

The voices of princes were hushed; Their tongues stuck to their palates.

ki ozen shame'ah vatte'ashereni ve'ayin ra'atah vatte'ideni

The ear that heard me acclaimed me; The eye that saw, commended me.

ki-amallet ani meshavvea veyatom velo-ozer lo

For I saved the pauper who cried out, The orphan who had no helper.

birkat oved alay tavo velev almanah arnin

I received the blessing of the lost; I gladdened the heart of the widow.

tsedeq lavashti vayyilbasheni kimil vetsanif mishpati

I clothed myself in righteousness and it robed me; Justice was my cloak and turban.

enayim hayiti la'ivver veraglayim lappisseakh ani

I was eyes to the blind And feet to the lame.

av anokhi la'evyonim veriv lo-yadati ekhqerehu

I was a father to the needy, And I looked into the case of the stranger.

va'ashabberah metalle'ot avval umishinnayw ashlikh taref

I broke the jaws of the wrongdoer, And I wrested prey from his teeth.

va'omar im-qinni egva vekhakhol arbeh yamim

I thought I would end my days with my family, And be as long-lived as the phoenix,

shorshi fatuakh ele-mayim vetal yalin biqtsiri

My roots reaching water, And dew lying on my branches;

kevodi khadash immadi veqashti beyadi takhalif

My vigor refreshed, My bow ever new in my hand.

li-shame'u veyikhellu veyiddemu lemo atsati

Men would listen to me expectantly, And wait for my counsel.

akhare devari lo yishnu ve'alemo tittof millati

After I spoke they had nothing to say; My words were as drops [of dew] upon them.

veyikhalu khammatar li ufihem pa'aru lemalqosh

They waited for me as for rain, For the late rain, their mouths open wide.

eskhaq alehem lo ya'aminu ve'or panay lo yappilun

When I smiled at them, they would not believe it; They never expected a sign of my favor.

evkhar darkam ve'eshev rosh ve'eshkon kemelekh baggedud ka'asher avelim yenakhem

I decided their course and presided over them; I lived like a king among his troops, Like one who consoles mourners.