1 Job jatkoi vielä puhettaan ja sanoi:
2 -- Kunpa kaikki taas olisi niin kuin ennen, kun Jumala vielä piti minusta huolen!
3 Silloin hän antoi lamppunsa loistaa minulle ja minä sain kulkea pimeyden lävitse hänen valossaan.
4 Kunpa palaisi kukoistukseni aika, jolloin Jumala suojeli majaani
5 ja Kaikkivaltias viipyi minun luonani, aika, jolloin oma väkeni vielä oli ympärilläni!
6 Noina päivinä minä kahlasin kermassa ja kallio tihkui minulle noroina oliivien öljyä.
7 Kun menin kaupunginportille kokoukseen ja asetuin paikalleni aukion äärelle,
8 nuoret miehet väistyivät syrjään ja vanhukset nousivat seisomaan.
9 Kaupungin johtomiehet vaikenivat kesken puheen ja panivat käden suunsa eteen.
10 Ruhtinaatkin hiljenivät, kuin kieli olisi jäänyt kitalakeen kiinni.
11 Ken sanani kuuli, ylisti onneani, ken minut näki, vahvisti todeksi kaiken tämän:
12 Minä pelastin köyhän, joka pyysi apua, ja orvon, jota kukaan ei auttanut.
13 Epätoivoon vaipuneet siunasivat minua, lesken sydämessä minä herätin ilon.
14 Minä pukeuduin vanhurskauteen, oikeudentunto oli viittani ja päähineeni.
15 Olin sokealle silmä, rammalle sauva.
16 Köyhille minä olin isä ja tuntematonta autoin saamaan oikeutta.
17 Minä murskasin pahantekijän leuan ja tempasin saaliin hänen hampaistaan.
19 Minun juureni ovat vedelle avoimet, yön kaste viipyy minun oksillani.
21 Minun sanaani odotettiin, sitä kuunneltiin. Kun annoin neuvoja, muut olivat hiljaa.
22 Kun minä olin puhunut, kukaan ei enää sanonut mitään, minun sanani pisaroivat heidän ylleen.
23 He odottivat niitä kuin sadetta, ahmivat niitä kuin kevätsateen vihmaa.
24 Kun he menettivät toivonsa, minä hymyilin heille, ja minun valoisat kasvoni rohkaisivat heitä.
25 Minä valitsin heille tien, olin heidän johtajansa, minä olin heidän keskellään kuin kuningas sotajoukkonsa keskellä. Niin kuin hän lohduttaa surevia, niin minä lohdutin heitä.
1 And Job again took up the word and said,
2 If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!
3 When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.
4 As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;
5 While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;
6 When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.
7 When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,
8 The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;
9 The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;
10 The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.
11 For when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me;
12 For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.
13 The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.
14 I put on righteousness as my clothing, and was full of it; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.
16 I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.
17 By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.
18 Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;
19 My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,
20 My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.
21 Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.
22 After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;
23 They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.
24 I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.
25 I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...