Job 29
New Catholic Bible
Job’s Final Speech: His Appeal to God
Chapter 29
The Happy Time.[a] 1 Then Job continued further with his solemn discourse, as he said:
2 “Oh, how I yearn for the months long gone
and for those days when God kept watch over me,
3 when his lamp continued to shine above my head
and by his light I could walk through darkness.
4 “In those days I was in my prime,
and God protected my tent.
5 The Almighty was ever present at my side,
and my children were around me.
6 My feet were bathed in milk,
and the rocks poured forth streams of oil[b] for me.
7 “When I would go forth to the gate of the city[c]
and take my seat in the public square,
8 the young men would see me and withdraw,
and the old men would rise to their feet.
9 The nobles would refrain from speaking
and would place their hands over their mouths.
10 The voices of the princes were silenced,
and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
People Praised My Works
11 “Whoever heard my words spoke favorably of me,
and those who saw me testified to my merit,
12 because I delivered the poor who appealed for help
and the orphan who had no one to protect him.
13 The blessing of the wretched was given to me,
and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 “I put on righteousness as my garment;
justice was my cloak and my turban.
15 I was eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I defended the rights of the stranger.
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked
and snatched their prey from their teeth.
18 “Then I thought, ‘I will die in honor
after having multiplied my days like grains of sand,[d]
19 with my roots spreading out to the waters
and the dew lying on my branches throughout the night.
20 My glory will be forever new
and the bow in my hand forever strong.’
21 [e]“Men waited expectantly to hear my words
and listened in silence to my counsel.
22 Once I had spoken, no one spoke further
but simply let my thoughts penetrate their minds.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
with open mouths as though to drink in a spring shower.
24 “When I smiled at them, they were filled with gratitude,
and they were clearly strengthened because of the way I treated them.
25 As their leader I told them which course to follow,
and I lived like a king among his troops,
or as a comforter of mourners.
Footnotes
- Job 29:1 Job reminisces about days of yesteryear and brilliantly evokes his success as a great Eastern chieftain. Happiness was with him. He made laws with a sovereign authority, and an entire people surrounded him with honor and respect. (Verses 21-25 are normally placed after v. 10, although we have kept them in their place.)
- Job 29:6 Milk . . . oil: see note on Job 20:17.
- Job 29:7 Gate of the city: the place where business was transacted and court cases were heard. Job used to take his seat there as a member of the city council.
- Job 29:18 Grains of sand: another possible translation is: “the phoenix”—a symbol of long life. The ancients regarded the phoenix as a bird that lived for centuries, then became consumed in flames, and finally arose from the ashes with new life.
- Job 29:21 These verses should be read after verse 10.
Job 29
Legacy Standard Bible
Job Continues His Discourse
29 And Job continued to lift up his [a](A)discourse and said,
2 “Oh that I were as in months gone by,
As in the days when God (B)kept me,
3 When (C)His lamp shone over my head,
And (D)by His light I walked through darkness,
4 As I was in [b]the prime of my days,
When the (E)intimate counsel with God was over my tent,
5 When [c]the Almighty was yet with me,
And my children were around me,
6 When my steps were bathed in (F)butter,
And the (G)rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 When I went out to (H)the gate of the city,
When I [d]took my seat in the square,
8 The young men saw me and hid,
And the old men arose and stood.
9 The princes (I)stopped talking
And (J)put their hands on their mouths;
10 The voice of the nobles was (K)hidden away,
And their (L)tongue clung to their palate.
11 For (M)the ear heard, and it called me blessed,
And the eye saw, and it gave witness of me,
12 Because I provided escape for (N)the afflicted who cried for help,
And the (O)orphan who had no helper.
13 The blessing of the one (P)ready to perish came upon me,
And I made the (Q)widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 I (R)clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
15 I was (S)eyes to the blind
And feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to (T)the needy,
And I searched out the case which I did not know.
17 I (U)broke the fangs of the unjust
And snatched the prey from his teeth.
18 Then I [e]said, ‘I will breathe my last [f]in my nest,
And I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 My (V)root is spread out to the waters,
And (W)dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My glory is ever new with me,
And my (X)bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 “To me (Y)they listened and waited,
And kept silent for my counsel.
22 After my words they did not (Z)speak again,
And (AA)my speech dropped on them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
And opened their mouth as for the [g]late rain.
24 I laughed with them as they could not believe it,
And the light of my face they did not cast down.
25 I chose a way for them and sat as (AB)chief,
And dwelt as their head among the troops,
As one who (AC)comforted the mourners.
Yobu 29
Endagaano Enkadde nʼEndagaano Empya
29 (A)Yobu n’ayongera okwogera nti,
2 (B)“Nga nneegomba emyezi egyayita,
ennaku Katonda mwe yali nga y’andabirira,
3 (C)ettaala ye bwe yayakiranga omutwe gwange,
n’ekitangaala kye bwe kyanjakiranga nga ntambulira mu kizikiza.
4 (D)Mu biro we nabeerera ow’amaanyi,
omukwano gwa Katonda omuyitirivu nga gukuuma amaka gange,
5 Ayinzabyonna bwe yali ng’akyali nange
n’abaana bange nga bakyanneetoolodde,
6 (E)n’ekkubo lyange nga lisiigiddwa omuzigo
n’olwazi nga lunfukirira omugga ogw’amafuta.
7 (F)“Bwe nalaganga ku mulyango gw’ekibuga
ne ntuula ku ntebe mu kifo we baakubiranga enkiiko,
8 abavubuka abato bandabanga ne badda ebbali,
abakadde ne basituka ne bayimirira;
9 (G)abakungu ab’oku ntikko ne balekeraawo okwogera,
ne bakwata ne ku mimwa;
10 (H)ab’ebitiibwa ne balekeraawo okwogera,
ennimi zaabwe ne zeesibira waggulu mu kamwa.
11 Buli kutu okwampuliranga nga kwesiima,
era n’abo abandabanga nga basiima
12 (I)kubanga nawonyanga abaavu abaakaabiranga obuyambi,
n’abatalina bakitaabwe abatalina abayamba.
13 (J)Omusajja ng’afa, y’ansabira omukisa,
ne ndeetera omutima gwa nnamwandu okuyimba.
14 (K)Ne nnyambala obutuukirivu ng’engoye zange,
obwenkanya bwe bwali omunagiro gwange era ekitambala kye neesiba ku mutwe.
15 (L)Nnali maaso g’abamuzibe
era ebigere by’abalema.
16 (M)Nnali kitaawe w’abanaku,
ne nneyama okuwolereza besimanyiiko.
17 (N)Namenyanga amannyo g’abakozi b’ebibi,
ne nziggya mu kamwa kaabwe, be baali bakutte.
18 (O)“Nalowooza nti, ‘Ndifiira mu nnyumba yange
nga mpezezza ennaku zange nga nnyingi ng’omusenyu ogw’oku nnyanja.
19 (P)Omulandira gwange gulituuka mu mazzi,
era n’omusulo gulibeera ku ttabi lyange okukeesa obudde.
20 (Q)Ekitiibwa kyange tekirikaddiwa mu nze,
n’omutego gwange ogw’akasaale gusigale nga tegukaddiye mu mukono gwange.’
21 “Abantu beesunganga okumpuliriza,
nga balindirira mu kasirise amagezi gange.
22 (R)Bwe namalanga okwogera, nga tewaba addayo kwogera,
ebigambo byange byagwanga mpola mpola mu matu gaabwe.
23 Bannindiriranga ng’enkuba
ne banywa ebigambo byange ng’enkuba eya ttoggo.
24 Bwe nabamwenyeranga nga tebakikkiriza;
ekitangaala ky’oku maaso gange kyali kya muwendo gye bali.
25 (S)Nabasalirangawo eky’okukola,
ne ntuula nga kabaka n’amaggye ge;
nnali ng’abo ababeesabeesa abakungubazi.”
Job 29
King James Version
29 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3 When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
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