| א וַיֹּסֶף אִיּוֹב, שְׂאֵת מְשָׁלוֹ; וַיֹּאמַר. |
1 {S} And Job again took up his parable, and said: |
| ב מִי-יִתְּנֵנִי כְיַרְחֵי-קֶדֶם; כִּימֵי, אֱלוֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵנִי. |
2 Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me; |
| ג בְּהִלּוֹ נֵרוֹ, עֲלֵי רֹאשִׁי; לְאוֹרוֹ, אֵלֶךְ חֹשֶׁךְ. |
3 When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness; |
| ד כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי, בִּימֵי חָרְפִּי; בְּסוֹד אֱלוֹהַּ, עֲלֵי אָהֳלִי. |
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse of God was upon my tent; |
| ה בְּעוֹד שַׁדַּי, עִמָּדִי; סְבִיבוֹתַי נְעָרָי. |
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me; |
| ו בִּרְחֹץ הֲלִיכַי בְּחֵמָה; וְצוּר יָצוּק עִמָּדִי, פַּלְגֵי-שָׁמֶן. |
6 When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil! |
| ז בְּצֵאתִי שַׁעַר עֲלֵי-קָרֶת; בָּרְחוֹב, אָכִין מוֹשָׁבִי. |
7 When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the broad place, |
| ח רָאוּנִי נְעָרִים וְנֶחְבָּאוּ; וִישִׁישִׁים, קָמוּ עָמָדוּ. |
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood; |
| ט שָׂרִים, עָצְרוּ בְמִלִּים; וְכַף, יָשִׂימוּ לְפִיהֶם. |
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth; |
| י קוֹל-נְגִידִים נֶחְבָּאוּ; וּלְשׁוֹנָם, לְחִכָּם דָּבֵקָה. |
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. |
| יא כִּי אֹזֶן שָׁמְעָה, וַתְּאַשְּׁרֵנִי; וְעַיִן רָאֲתָה, וַתְּעִידֵנִי. |
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me; |
| יב כִּי-אֲמַלֵּט, עָנִי מְשַׁוֵּעַ; וְיָתוֹם, וְלֹא-עֹזֵר לוֹ. |
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him. |
| יג בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד, עָלַי תָּבֹא; וְלֵב אַלְמָנָה אַרְנִן. |
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. |
| יד צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי, וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי; כִּמְעִיל וְצָנִיף, מִשְׁפָּטִי. |
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; my justice was as a robe and a diadem. |
| טו עֵינַיִם הָיִיתִי, לַעִוֵּר; וְרַגְלַיִם לַפִּסֵּחַ אָנִי. |
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. |
| טז אָב אָנֹכִי, לָאֶבְיוֹנִים; וְרִב לֹא-יָדַעְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵהוּ. |
16 I was a father to the needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out. |
| יז וָאֲשַׁבְּרָה, מְתַלְּעוֹת עַוָּל; וּמִשִּׁנָּיו, אַשְׁלִיךְ טָרֶף. |
17 And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth. |
| יח וָאֹמַר, עִם-קִנִּי אֶגְוָע; וְכַחוֹל, אַרְבֶּה יָמִים. |
18 Then I said: 'I shall die with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix; |
| יט שָׁרְשִׁי פָתוּחַ אֱלֵי-מָיִם; וְטַל, יָלִין בִּקְצִירִי. |
19 My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew shall lie all night upon my branch; |
| כ כְּבוֹדִי, חָדָשׁ עִמָּדִי; וְקַשְׁתִּי, בְּיָדִי תַחֲלִיף. |
20 My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow shall be renewed in my hand.' |
| כא לִי-שָׁמְעוּ וְיִחֵלּוּ; וְיִדְּמוּ, לְמוֹ עֲצָתִי. |
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel. |
| כב אַחֲרֵי דְבָרִי, לֹא יִשְׁנוּ; וְעָלֵימוֹ, תִּטֹּף מִלָּתִי. |
22 After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them. |
| כג וְיִחֲלוּ כַמָּטָר לִי; וּפִיהֶם, פָּעֲרוּ לְמַלְקוֹשׁ. |
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. |
| כד אֶשְׂחַק אֲלֵהֶם, לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ; וְאוֹר פָּנַי, לֹא יַפִּילוּן. |
24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. |
|
כה אֶבְחַר דַּרְכָּם, וְאֵשֵׁב רֹאשׁ: וְאֶשְׁכּוֹן, כְּמֶלֶךְ בַּגְּדוּד; כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵם. |
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief, {N} and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners. |