Chapter 29
Job’s Former Blessings
1
And Job… continued his discourse…:
𐤀𐤉𐤅𐤁 𐤔𐤀𐤕 𐤅𐤉𐤎𐤐 𐤌𐤔𐤋𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓
אִ֭יּוֹב שְׂאֵ֥ת וַיֹּ֣סֶף מְשָׁל֗וֹ וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ ’î·yō·wḇ śə·’êṯ way·yō·sep̄ mə·šā·lōw way·yō·mar — WLC · 1
2
“How I long… for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
𐤌𐤉 𐤉𐤕𐤍𐤍𐤉 𐤊𐤉𐤓𐤇𐤉 𐤒𐤃𐤌 𐤊𐤉𐤌𐤉 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄 𐤉𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤍𐤉
מִֽי־ יִתְּנֵ֥נִי כְיַרְחֵי־ קֶ֑דֶם כִּ֝ימֵ֗י אֱל֣וֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵֽנִי׃ mî- yit·tə·nê·nî ḵə·yar·ḥê- qe·ḏem kî·mê ’ĕ·lō·w·ah yiš·mə·rê·nî — WLC · 2
3
when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
𐤍𐤓𐤅 𐤁𐤄𐤋𐤅 𐤏𐤋𐤉 𐤓𐤀𐤔𐤉 𐤋𐤀𐤅𐤓𐤅 𐤀𐤋𐤊 𐤇𐤔𐤊
נֵ֭רוֹ בְּהִלּ֣וֹ עֲלֵ֣י רֹאשִׁ֑י לְ֝אוֹרוֹ אֵ֣לֶךְ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ nê·rōw bə·hil·lōw ‘ă·lê rō·šî lə·’ō·w·rōw ’ê·leḵ ḥō·šeḵ — WLC · 3
4
when I was vvv in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
𐤊𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤄𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤁𐤉𐤌𐤉 𐤇𐤓𐤐𐤉 𐤁𐤎𐤅𐤃 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄 𐤏𐤋𐤉 𐤀𐤄𐤋𐤉
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר הָ֭יִיתִי בִּימֵ֣י חָרְפִּ֑י בְּס֥וֹד אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ עֲלֵ֣י אָהֳלִֽי׃ ka·’ă·šer hā·yî·ṯî bî·mê ḥā·rə·pî bə·sō·wḏ ’ĕ·lō·w·ah ‘ă·lê ’ā·ho·lî — WLC · 4
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when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
𐤔𐤃𐤉 𐤁𐤏𐤅𐤃 𐤏𐤌𐤃𐤉 𐤍𐤏𐤓𐤉 𐤎𐤁𐤉𐤁𐤅𐤕𐤉
שַׁ֭דַּי בְּע֣וֹד עִמָּדִ֑י נְעָרָֽי׃ סְבִ֖יבוֹתַ֣י šad·dai bə·‘ō·wḏ ‘im·mā·ḏî nə·‘ā·rāy sə·ḇî·ḇō·w·ṯay — WLC · 5
6
when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
𐤄𐤋𐤉𐤊𐤉 𐤁𐤓𐤇𐤑 𐤁𐤇𐤌𐤄 𐤅𐤑𐤅𐤓 𐤉𐤑𐤅𐤒 𐤏𐤌𐤃𐤉 𐤐𐤋𐤂𐤉 𐤔𐤌𐤍
הֲלִיכַ֣י בִּרְחֹ֣ץ בְּחֵמָ֑ה וְצ֥וּר יָצ֥וּק עִ֝מָּדִ֗י פַּלְגֵי־ שָֽׁמֶן׃ hă·lî·ḵay bir·ḥōṣ bə·ḥê·māh wə·ṣūr yā·ṣūq ‘im·mā·ḏî pal·ḡê- šā·men — WLC · 6
7
When I went out to the city gate… and took my seat in the public square,
𐤁𐤑𐤀𐤕𐤉 𐤒𐤓𐤕 𐤔𐤏𐤓 𐤏𐤋𐤉 𐤀𐤊𐤉𐤍 𐤌𐤅𐤔𐤁𐤉 𐤁𐤓𐤇𐤅𐤁
בְּצֵ֣אתִי קָ֑רֶת שַׁ֣עַר עֲלֵי־ אָכִ֥ין מוֹשָׁבִֽי׃ בָּ֝רְח֗וֹב bə·ṣê·ṯî qā·reṯ ša·‘ar ‘ă·lê- ’ā·ḵîn mō·wō·šā·ḇî bā·rə·ḥō·wḇ — WLC · 7
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the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
𐤍𐤏𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤓𐤀𐤅𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤍𐤇𐤁𐤀𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤉𐤔𐤉𐤌 𐤒𐤌𐤅 𐤏𐤌𐤃𐤅
נְעָרִ֣ים רָא֣וּנִי וְנֶחְבָּ֑אוּ וִֽ֝ישִׁישִׁים קָ֣מוּ עָמָֽדוּ׃ nə·‘ā·rîm rā·’ū·nî wə·neḥ·bā·’ū wî·šî·šîm qā·mū ‘ā·mā·ḏū — WLC · 8
9
The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
𐤔𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤏𐤑𐤓𐤅 𐤁𐤌𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤉𐤔𐤉𐤌𐤅 𐤋𐤐𐤉𐤄𐤌 𐤅𐤊𐤐
שָׂ֭רִים עָצְר֣וּ בְמִלִּ֑ים יָשִׂ֥ימוּ לְפִיהֶֽם׃ וְ֝כַ֗ף śā·rîm ‘ā·ṣə·rū ḇə·mil·lîm yā·śî·mū lə·p̄î·hem wə·ḵap̄ — WLC · 9
10
The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
𐤒𐤅𐤋 𐤍𐤂𐤉𐤃𐤉𐤌 𐤍𐤇𐤁𐤀𐤅 𐤅𐤋𐤔𐤅𐤍𐤌 𐤃𐤁𐤒𐤄 𐤋𐤇𐤊𐤌
קוֹל־ נְגִידִ֥ים נֶחְבָּ֑אוּ וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם דָּבֵֽקָה׃ לְחִכָּ֥ם qō·wl- nə·ḡî·ḏîm neḥ·bā·’ū ū·lə·šō·w·nām dā·ḇê·qāh lə·ḥik·kām — WLC · 10
11
For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤆𐤍 𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤄 𐤅𐤕𐤀𐤔𐤓𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤏𐤉𐤍 𐤓𐤀𐤕𐤄 𐤅𐤕𐤏𐤉𐤃𐤍𐤉
כִּ֤י אֹ֣זֶן שָׁ֭מְעָה וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵ֑נִי וְעַ֥יִן רָ֝אֲתָ֗ה וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃ kî ’ō·zen šā·mə·ʿāh wat·tə·’aš·šə·rê·nî wə·‘a·yin rā·’ă·ṯāh wat·tə·‘î·ḏê·nî — WLC · 11
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because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤌𐤋𐤈 𐤏𐤍𐤉 𐤌𐤔𐤅𐤏 𐤅𐤉𐤕𐤅𐤌 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤏𐤆𐤓 𐤋𐤅
כִּֽי־ אֲ֭מַלֵּט עָנִ֣י מְשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וְ֝יָת֗וֹם וְֽלֹא־ עֹזֵ֥ר לֽוֹ׃ kî- ’ă·mal·lêṭ ‘ā·nî mə·šaw·wê·a‘ wə·yā·ṯō·wm wə·lō- ‘ō·zêr lōw — WLC · 12
13
The dying man… blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
𐤀𐤁𐤃 𐤏𐤋𐤉 𐤕𐤁𐤀 𐤁𐤓𐤊𐤕 𐤀𐤋𐤌𐤍𐤄 𐤅𐤋𐤁 𐤀𐤓𐤍𐤍
אֹ֭בֵד עָלַ֣י תָּבֹ֑א בִּרְכַּ֣ת אַלְמָנָ֣ה וְלֵ֖ב אַרְנִֽן׃ ’ō·ḇêḏ ‘ā·lay tā·ḇō bir·kaṯ ’al·mā·nāh wə·lêḇ ’ar·nin — WLC · 13
14
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
𐤋𐤁𐤔𐤕𐤉 𐤑𐤃𐤒 𐤅𐤉𐤋𐤁𐤔𐤍𐤉 𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤈𐤉 𐤊𐤌𐤏𐤉𐤋 𐤅𐤑𐤍𐤉𐤐
לָ֭בַשְׁתִּי צֶ֣דֶק וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁ֑נִי מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃ כִּֽמְעִ֥יל וְ֝צָנִ֗יף lā·ḇaš·tî ṣe·ḏeq way·yil·bā·šê·nî miš·pā·ṭî kim·‘îl wə·ṣā·nîp̄ — WLC · 14
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I [served as] eyes to the blind [and] as feet to the lame.
𐤄𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤏𐤅𐤓 𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤓𐤂𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤐𐤎𐤇
הָ֭יִיתִי עֵינַ֣יִם לַֽעִוֵּ֑ר אָֽנִי׃ וְרַגְלַ֖יִם לַפִּסֵּ֣חַ hā·yî·ṯî ‘ê·na·yim la·‘iw·wêr ’ā·nî wə·raḡ·la·yim lap·pis·sê·aḥ — WLC · 15
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I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger…
𐤀𐤍𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤁 𐤋𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤇𐤒𐤓𐤄𐤅 𐤅𐤓𐤁 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤃𐤏𐤕𐤉
אָ֭נֹכִֽי אָ֣ב לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִ֑ים אֶחְקְרֵֽהוּ׃ וְרִ֖ב לֹא־ יָדַ֣עְתִּי ’ā·nō·ḵî ’āḇ lā·’eḇ·yō·w·nîm ’eḥ·qə·rê·hū wə·riḇ lō- yā·ḏa‘·tî — WLC · 16
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I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
𐤅𐤀𐤔𐤁𐤓𐤄 𐤌𐤕𐤋𐤏𐤅𐤕 𐤏𐤅𐤋 𐤀𐤔𐤋𐤉𐤊 𐤈𐤓𐤐 𐤅𐤌𐤔𐤍𐤉𐤅
וָֽ֭אֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּע֣וֹת עַוָּ֑ל אַשְׁלִ֥יךְ טָֽרֶף׃ וּ֝מִשִּׁנָּ֗יו wā·’ă·šab·bə·rāh mə·ṯal·lə·‘ō·wṯ ‘aw·wāl ’aš·lîḵ ṭā·rep̄ ū·miš·šin·nāw — WLC · 17
18
So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
𐤅𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤀𐤂𐤅𐤏 𐤏𐤌 𐤒𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤄 𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤊𐤇𐤅𐤋
וָ֭אֹמַר אֶגְוָ֑ע עִם־ קִנִּ֣י אַרְבֶּ֥ה יָמִֽים׃ וְ֝כַח֗וֹל wā·’ō·mar ’eḡ·wā‘ ‘im- qin·nî ’ar·beh yā·mîm wə·ḵa·ḥō·wl — WLC · 18
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My roots [will] spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
𐤔𐤓𐤔𐤉 𐤐𐤕𐤅𐤇 𐤀𐤋𐤉 𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤈𐤋 𐤉𐤋𐤉𐤍 𐤁𐤒𐤑𐤉𐤓𐤉
שָׁרְשִׁ֣י פָת֣וּחַ אֱלֵי־ מָ֑יִם וְ֝טַ֗ל יָלִ֥ין בִּקְצִירִֽי׃ šā·rə·šî p̄ā·ṯū·aḥ ’ĕ·lê- mā·yim wə·ṭal yā·lîn biq·ṣî·rî — WLC · 19
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My glory is [ever] new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
𐤊𐤁𐤅𐤃𐤉 𐤇𐤃𐤔 𐤏𐤌𐤃𐤉 𐤅𐤒𐤔𐤕𐤉 𐤕𐤇𐤋𐤉𐤐 𐤁𐤉𐤃𐤉
כְּ֭בוֹדִי חָדָ֣שׁ עִמָּדִ֑י וְ֝קַשְׁתִּ֗י תַחֲלִֽיף׃ בְּיָדִ֥י kə·ḇō·w·ḏî ḥā·ḏāš ‘im·mā·ḏî wə·qaš·tî ṯa·ḥă·lîp̄ bə·yā·ḏî — WLC · 20
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Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤅 𐤋𐤉 𐤅𐤉𐤇𐤋𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤃𐤌𐤅 𐤋𐤌𐤅 𐤏𐤑𐤕𐤉
שָׁמְע֥וּ לִֽי־ וְיִחֵ֑לּוּ וְ֝יִדְּמ֗וּ לְמ֣וֹ עֲצָתִֽי׃ šā·mə·‘ū lî- wə·yi·ḥêl·lū wə·yid·də·mū lə·mōw ‘ă·ṣā·ṯî — WLC · 21
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After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉 𐤃𐤁𐤓𐤉 𐤉𐤔𐤍𐤅 𐤋𐤀 𐤌𐤋𐤕𐤉 𐤕𐤈𐤐 𐤅𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤌𐤅
אַחֲרֵ֣י דְ֭בָרִי יִשְׁנ֑וּ לֹ֣א מִלָּתִֽי׃ תִּטֹּ֥ף וְ֝עָלֵ֗ימוֹ ’a·ḥă·rê ḏə·ḇā·rî yiš·nū lō mil·lā·ṯî tiṭ·ṭōp̄ wə·‘ā·lê·mōw — WLC · 22
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They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words… like spring showers.
𐤅𐤉𐤇𐤋𐤅 𐤊𐤌𐤈𐤓 𐤋𐤉 𐤐𐤏𐤓𐤅 𐤅𐤐𐤉𐤄𐤌 𐤋𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤅𐤔
וְיִֽחֲל֣וּ כַמָּטָ֣ר לִ֑י פָּעֲר֥וּ וּ֝פִיהֶ֗ם לְמַלְקֽוֹשׁ׃ wə·yi·ḥă·lū ḵam·mā·ṭār lî pā·‘ă·rū ū·p̄î·hem lə·mal·qō·wōš — WLC · 23
24
If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance vvv was precious.
𐤀𐤔𐤇𐤒 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤉𐤍𐤅 𐤅𐤀𐤅𐤓 𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤐𐤉𐤋𐤅𐤍
אֶשְׂחַ֣ק אֲ֭לֵהֶם לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֑ינוּ וְא֥וֹר פָּ֝נַ֗י לֹ֣א יַפִּילֽוּן׃ ’eś·ḥaq ’ă·lê·hem lō ya·’ă·mî·nū wə·’ō·wr pā·nay lō yap·pî·lūn — WLC · 24
25
I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter… of the mourners.
𐤀𐤁𐤇𐤓 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤌 𐤅𐤀𐤔𐤁 𐤓𐤀𐤔 𐤅𐤀𐤔𐤊𐤅𐤍 𐤊𐤌𐤋𐤊 𐤁𐤂𐤃𐤅𐤃 𐤊𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤉𐤍𐤇𐤌 𐤀𐤁𐤋𐤉𐤌
אֶֽבֲחַ֣ר דַּרְכָּם֮ וְאֵשֵׁ֪ב רֹ֥אשׁ וְ֭אֶשְׁכּוֹן כְּמֶ֣לֶךְ בַּגְּד֑וּד כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר יְנַחֵֽם׃ אֲבֵלִ֣ים ’e·ḇă·ḥar dar·kām wə·’ê·šêḇ rōš wə·’eš·kō·wn kə·me·leḵ bag·gə·ḏūḏ ka·’ă·šer yə·na·ḥêm ’ă·ḇê·lîm — WLC · 25