1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old,
as in the days when God watched over me;
3 when his lamp shone on my head,
and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 as I was in my prime,
when the friendship of God was in my tent,
5 when the Almighty was yet with me,
and my children were around me,
6 when my steps were washed with butter,
and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
7 when I went out to the city gate,
when I prepared my seat in the street.
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves.
The aged rose up and stood.
9 The princes refrained from talking,
and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed,
and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me,
and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
12 because I delivered the poor who cried,
and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me,
and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me.
My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind,
and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy.
I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous
and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house,
I will count my days as the sand.
19 My root is spread out to the waters.
The dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My glory is fresh in me.
My bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 "Men listened to me, waited,
and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After my words they didn’t speak again.
My speech fell on them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain.
Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence.
They didn’t reject the light of my face.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief.
I lived as a king in the army,
as one who comforts the mourners.
1 En Job het verder sy spreuk aangehef en gesê:
2 Ag, was ek maar soos in die vorige maande, soos in die dae toe God my bewaar het;
3 toe sy lamp bo my hoof geskyn het, ek by sy lig die duisternis deurwandel het;
4 soos ek was in my herfsdae toe die verborgenheid van God oor my tent was;
5 toe die Almagtige nog by my was, my kinders rondom my;
6 toe my voetstappe gewas is in dikmelk en die rots by my strome van olie uitgegiet het.
7 Toe ek uitgegaan het na die poort, op na die stad toe, op die markplein my sitplek reggemaak het,
8 het die seuns weggekruip as hulle my sien, en grysaards het hulle opgerig en bly staan.
9 Vorste het hulle woorde ingehou en die hand op hul mond gelê.
10 Die stem van edeles is teruggehou, en hulle tong het gekleef aan hul verhemelte.
11 Want het 'n oor net gehoor, dan prys dit my gelukkig; en het 'n oog net gesien, dan gee dit vir my getuienis.
12 Want ek het die ellendige gered wat om hulp geroep het, en die wees en hom wat geen helper het nie.
13 Die seën van hom wat klaar was om onder te gaan, het op my gekom; en die hart van die weduwee het ek laat jubel.
14 Die geregtigheid was my kleed, en ek sy kleed; my reg was soos 'n mantel en 'n tulband.
15 Oë was ek vir die blinde, en voete vir die lamme was ek.
16 'n Vader was ek vir die behoeftiges; en die regsaak van hom wat ek nie geken het nie, het ek ondersoek.
17 En ek het die tande van die kwaaddoener stukkend gebreek en die buit uit sy gebit geslinger.
18 So het ek dan gedink: By my nes sal ek die asem uitblaas, en soos die feniks my dae vermenigvuldig.
19 My wortel staan oop na die water toe, en dou vernag op my tak.
20 My eer is altyd nuut by my, en my boog bly jonk in my hand.
21 Na my het hulle geluister vol verwagting, en hulle het stil my raad aangehoor.
22 N my woorde het hulle nie weer gespreek nie, en my rede het op hulle gedrup.
23 En hulle het op my gewag soos op reën, en hulle mond wyd oopgemaak soos vir lentereëns.
24 Ek het hulle toegelag as hulle moedeloos was, en hulle kon die lig van my gesig nie verdonker nie.
25 Het ek die weg na hulle toe gekies, dan sit ek as voorman en woon soos 'n koning onder die skare, soos een wat treuriges vertroos.