1 Job again took up his parable, and said,

1 וַיֹּ֣סֶף אִ֭יֹּוב שְׂאֵ֥ת מְשָׁלֹ֗ו וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;

2 מִֽי־יִתְּנֵ֥נִי כְיַרְחֵי־קֶ֑דֶם כִּ֝ימֵ֗י אֱלֹ֣והַּ יִשְׁמְרֵֽנִי׃

3 When his lamp shone on my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;

3 בְּהִלֹּ֣ו נֵ֭רֹו עֲלֵ֣י רֹאשִׁ֑י לְ֝אֹורֹו אֵ֣לֶךְ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

4 As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was in my tent;

4 כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר הָ֭יִיתִי בִּימֵ֣י חָרְפִּ֑י בְּסֹ֥וד אֱ֝לֹ֗והַּ עֲלֵ֣י אָהֳלִֽי׃

5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;

5 בְּעֹ֣וד דַּי עִמָּדִ֑י סְבִ֖יבֹותַ֣י נְעָרָֽי׃

6 When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured out streams of oil for me!

6 בִּרְחֹ֣ץ הֲלִיכַ֣י בְּחֵמָ֑ה וְצ֥וּר יָצ֥וּק עִ֝מָּדִ֗י פַּלְגֵי־שָֽׁמֶן׃

7 When I went forth to the city gate, When I prepared my seat in the street,

7 בְּצֵ֣אתִי שַׁ֣עַר עֲלֵי־קָ֑רֶת בָּ֝רְחֹ֗וב אָכִ֥ין מֹושָׁבִֽי׃

8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, The aged rose up and stood;

8 רָא֣וּנִי נְעָרִ֣ים וְנֶחְבָּ֑אוּ וִֽ֝ישִׁישִׁים קָ֣מוּ עָמָֽדוּ׃

9 The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;

9 רִים עָצְר֣וּ בְמִלִּ֑ים וְ֝כַ֗ף יָשִׂ֥ימוּ לְפִיהֶֽם׃

10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

10 קֹול־נְגִידִ֥ים נֶחְבָּ֑אוּ וּ֝לְשֹׁונָ֗ם לְחִכָּ֥ם דָּבֵֽקָה׃

11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it commended me:

11 כִּ֤י אֹ֣זֶן מְעָה וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵ֑נִי וְעַ֥יִן רָ֝אֲתָ֗ה וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃

12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, And the fatherless also, who had none to help him.

12 כִּֽי־אֲ֭מַלֵּט עָנִ֣י מְשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וְ֝יָתֹ֗ום וְֽלֹא־עֹזֵ֥ר לֹֽו׃

13 The blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

13 בִּרְכַּ֣ת אֹ֭בֵד עָלַ֣י תָּבֹ֑א וְלֵ֖ב אַלְמָנָ֣ה אַרְנִֽן׃

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

14 צֶ֣דֶק לָ֭בַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁ֑נִי כִּמְעִ֥יל³ וְ֝צָנִ֗יף מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

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

15 עֵינַ֣יִם הָ֭יִיתִי לַֽעִוֵּ֑ר וְרַגְלַ֖יִם לַפִּסֵּ֣חַ אָֽנִי׃

16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn't know, I searched out.

16 אָ֣ב אָ֭נֹכִֽי לָֽאֶבְיֹונִ֑ים וְרִ֖ב לֹא־יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵֽהוּ׃

17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.

17 וָֽ֭אֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּעֹ֣ות עַוָּ֑ל וּ֝מִשִּׁנָּ֗יו אַשְׁלִ֥יךְ טָֽרֶף׃

18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.

18 וָ֭אֹמַר עִם־קִנִּ֣י אֶגְוָ֑ע וְ֝כַחֹ֗ול אַרְבֶּ֥ה יָמִֽים׃

19 My root is spread out to the waters, The dew lies all night on my branch;

19 שָׁרְשִׁ֣י פָת֣וּחַ אֱלֵי־מָ֑יִם וְ֝טַ֗ל יָלִ֥ין בִּקְצִירִֽי׃

20 My glory is fresh in me, My bow is renewed in my hand.'

20 כְּ֭בֹודִי חָדָ֣שׁ עִמָּדִ֑י וְ֝קַשְׁתִּ֗י בְּיָדִ֥י תַחֲלִֽיף׃

21 "Men listened to me, waited, And kept silence for my counsel.

21 לִֽי־שָׁמְע֥וּ וְיִחֵ֑לּוּ וְ֝יִדְּמ֗וּ לְמֹ֣ו עֲצָתִֽי׃

22 After my words they didn't speak again; My speech fell on them.

22 אַחֲרֵ֣י דְ֭בָרִי לֹ֣א יִשְׁנ֑וּ וְ֝עָלֵ֗ימֹו תִּטֹּ֥ף מִלָּתִֽי׃

23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.

23 וְיִֽחֲל֣וּ כַמָּטָ֣ר לִ֑י וּ֝פִיהֶ֗ם פָּעֲר֥וּ לְמַלְקֹֽושׁ׃

24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn't reject the light of my face.

24 אֶשְׂחַ֣ק אֲ֭לֵהֶם לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֑ינוּ וְאֹ֥ור פָּ֝נַ֗י לֹ֣א יַפִּילֽוּן׃

25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, As one who comforts the mourners.

25 אֶֽבֲחַ֣ר דַּרְכָּם֮ וְאֵשֵׁ֪ב רֹ֥אשׁ וְ֭אֶשְׁכֹּון כְּמֶ֣לֶךְ בַּגְּד֑וּד כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲבֵלִ֣ים יְנַחֵֽם׃