Job Chapter 29 אִיּוֹב

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.