Job 29
Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!
τίς ἄν με θείη κατὰ μῆνα ἔμπροσθεν ἡμερῶν, ὧν με ὁ Θεὸς ἐφύλαξεν;
As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.
ὡς ὅτε ηὔγει ὁ λύχνος αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς μου, ὅτε τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπορευόμην ἐν σκότει·
[As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.
ὅτε ἤμην ἐπιβρίθων ὁδούς, ὅτε ὁ Θεὸς ἐπισκοπὴν ἐποιεῖτο τοῦ οἴκου μου·
When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;
ὅτε ἤμην ὑλώδης λίαν, κύκλῳ δέ μου οἱ παῖδες·
when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.
ὅτε ἐχέοντο αἱ ὁδοί μου βουτύρῳ, τὰ δὲ ὄρη μου ἐχέοντο γάλακτι·
When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.
ὅτε ἐξεπορευόμην ὄρθιος ἐν πόλει, ἐν δὲ πλατείαις ἐτίθετό μου ὁ δίφρος.
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.
ἰδόντες με νεανίσκοι ἐκρύβησαν, πρεσβῦται δὲ πάντες ἔστησαν·
And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
ἁδροὶ δὲ ἐπαύσαντο λαλοῦντες, δάκτυλον ἐπιθέντες ἐπὶ στόματι.
And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.
οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐμακάρισάν με, καὶ γλῶσσα αὐτῶν τῷ λάρυγγι αὐτῶν ἐκολλήθη·
For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.
ὅτι οὖς ἤκουσε καὶ ἐμακάρισέ με, ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ ἰδών με ἐξέκλινε·
For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.
διέσωσα γὰρ πτωχὸν ἐκ χειρὸς δυνάστου καὶ ὀρφανῷ, ᾧ οὐκ ἦν βοηθός, ἐβοήθησα.
Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yea, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.
εὐλογία ἀπολλυμένου ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ ἔλθοι, στόμα δὲ χήρας με εὐλόγησε.
Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgment like a mantle.
δικαιοσύνην δὲ ἐνδεδύκειν, ἠμφιασάμην δὲ κρίμα ἴσα διπλοΐδι.
I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.
ἐγὼ ἤμην πατὴρ ἀδυνάτων, δίκην δὲ ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειν ἐξιχνίασα·
And I broke the jaw-teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.
συνέτριψα δὲ μύλας ἀδίκων, ἐκ μέσου τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτῶν ἅρπαγμα ἐξήρπασα.
And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm-tree; I shall live a long while.
εἶπα δέ· ἡ ἡλικία μου γηράσει ὥσπερ στέλεχος φοίνικος, πολὺν χρόνον βιώσω·
[My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.
ἡ ῥίζα διήνοικται ἐπὶ ὕδατος, καὶ δρόσος αὐλισθήσεται ἐν τῷ θερισμῷ μου·
My glory was fresh in me, and my bow prospered in his hand.
ἡ δόξα μου κενὴ μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, καὶ τὸ τόξον μου ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ πορεύεται.
[Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.
ἐμοῦ ἀκούσαντες προσέσχον, ἐσιώπησαν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμῇ βουλῇ·
At my word they spoke not again, and they were very glad whenever I spoke to them.
ἐπὶ τῷ ἐμῷ ρήματι οὐ προσέθεντο, περιχαρεῖς δὲ ἐγίνοντο ὁπόταν αὐτοῖς ἐλάλουν·
As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.
ὥσπερ γῆ διψῶσα προσδεχομένη τὸν ὑετόν, οὕτως οὗτοι τὴν ἐμὴν λαλιάν.
Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.
ἐὰν γελάσω πρὸς αὐτούς, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσωσι, καὶ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου μου οὐκ ἀπέπιπτεν·
I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.
ἐξελεξάμην ὁδὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκάθισα ἄρχων καὶ κατεσκήνουν ὡσεὶ βασιλεὺς ἐν μονοζώνοις ὃν τρόπον παθεινοὺς παρακαλῶν.