Job’s Former Blessings
1 וַיֹּ֣סֶף (And continued) אִ֭יּוֹב (Job) שְׂאֵ֥ת (to lift up) מְשָׁל֗וֹ (his discourse), וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ (and he said),
2 מִֽי־ (Who) יִתְּנֵ֥נִי (will make me) כְיַרְחֵי־ (as in months) קֶ֑דֶם (past),
כִּ֝ימֵ֗י (as the days) אֱל֣וֹהַּ (God) יִשְׁמְרֵֽנִי׃ (was keeping me),
3 בְּהִלּ֣וֹ (in His shining) נֵ֭רוֹ (His lamp) עֲלֵ֣י (upon) רֹאשִׁ֑י (my head);
לְ֝אוֹרוֹ (by His light) אֵ֣לֶךְ (I walked) חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ (through darkness),
4 כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (as) הָ֭יִיתִי (I was) בִּימֵ֣י (in the days) חָרְפִּ֑י (of my harvest time),
בְּס֥וֹד (when the counsel) אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ (of God) עֲלֵ֣י (was upon) אָהֳלִֽי׃ (my tent),
5 בְּע֣וֹד (when yet) שַׁ֭דַּי (Shaddai) עִמָּדִ֑י (was with me);
סְבִ֖יבוֹתַ֣י (around me) נְעָרָֽי׃ (my children),
6 בִּרְחֹ֣ץ (with the washing) הֲלִיכַ֣י (of my steps) בְּחֵמָ֑ה (with cream),
וְצ֥וּר (and the rock) יָצ֥וּק (poured out) עִ֝מָּדִ֗י (for me) פַּלְגֵי־ (streams) שָֽׁמֶן׃ (of oil);
7 בְּצֵ֣אתִי (in my going out) שַׁ֣עַר (the gate) עֲלֵי־ (upon) קָ֑רֶת (the town)
בָּ֝רְח֗וֹב (in the square) אָכִ֥ין (I established) מוֹשָׁבִֽי׃ (my seat),
8 רָא֣וּנִי (and saw me) נְעָרִ֣ים (the young men) וְנֶחְבָּ֑אוּ (and hid themselves),
וִֽ֝ישִׁישִׁים (and old men) קָ֣מוּ (arose) עָמָֽדוּ׃ (and stood).
9 שָׂ֭רִים (The princes) עָצְר֣וּ (refrained) בְמִלִּ֑ים (from words),
וְ֝כַ֗ף (and a hand) יָשִׂ֥ימוּ (they put) לְפִיהֶֽם׃ (on their mouth).
10 קוֹל־ (The voice) נְגִידִ֥ים (of the nobles) נֶחְבָּ֑אוּ (was hidden),
וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם (and their tongue) לְחִכָּ֥ם (to their palate) דָּבֵֽקָה׃ (stuck).
11 כִּ֤י (For) אֹ֣זֶן (the ear) שָׁ֭מְעָה (heard) וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵ֑נִי (and declared me blessed),
וְעַ֥יִן (and the eye) רָ֝אֲתָ֗ה (saw) וַתְּעִידֵֽנִי׃ (and testified for me),
12 כִּֽי־ (because) אֲ֭מַלֵּט (I rescued) עָנִ֣י (the poor) מְשַׁוֵּ֑עַ (crying out),
וְ֝יָת֗וֹם (and the fatherless) וְֽלֹא־ (and no one) עֹזֵ֥ר (was helping) לֽוֹ׃ (him).
13 בִּרְכַּ֣ת (The blessing) אֹ֭בֵד (of the one perishing) עָלַ֣י (upon me) תָּבֹ֑א (came),
וְלֵ֖ב (and the heart) אַלְמָנָ֣ה (of the widow) אַרְנִֽן׃ (I caused to sing).
14 צֶ֣דֶק (With righteousness) לָ֭בַשְׁתִּי (I clothed myself) וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁ֑נִי (and it clothed me);
כִּֽמְעִ֥יל (like a robe) וְ֝צָנִ֗יף (and a turban) מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃ (was my justice).
15 עֵינַ֣יִם (Eyes) הָ֭יִיתִי (I was) לַֽעִוֵּ֑ר (to the blind),
וְרַגְלַ֖יִם (and feet) לַפִּסֵּ֣חַ (to the lame) אָֽנִי׃ (I was).
16 אָ֣ב (A father) אָ֭נֹכִֽי (I was) לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִ֑ים (to the poor),
וְרִ֖ב (and the case) לֹא־ (not) יָדַ֣עְתִּי (I did know), אֶחְקְרֵֽהוּ׃ (I searched it out).
17 וָֽ֭אֲשַׁבְּרָה (And I broke) מְתַלְּע֣וֹת (the fangs) עַוָּ֑ל (of the unjust),
וּ֝מִשִּׁנָּ֗יו (and from his teeth) אַשְׁלִ֥יךְ (I cast away) טָֽרֶף׃ (the prey).
18 וָ֭אֹמַר (And I said), עִם־ (In) קִנִּ֣י (my nest) אֶגְוָ֑ע (I will die),
וְ֝כַח֗וֹל (and as the sand) אַרְבֶּ֥ה (I will multiply) יָמִֽים׃ (my days).
19 שָׁרְשִׁ֣י (My root) פָת֣וּחַ (is open) אֱלֵי־ (to) מָ֑יִם (the waters),
וְ֝טַ֗ל (and the dew) יָלִ֥ין (lodges) בִּקְצִירִֽי׃ (on my branch).
20 כְּ֭בוֹדִי (My glory is) חָדָ֣שׁ (fresh) עִמָּדִ֑י (within me),
וְ֝קַשְׁתִּ֗י (and my bow) בְּיָדִ֥י (in my hand) תַחֲלִֽיף׃ (is renewed).
21 לִֽי־ (To me) שָׁמְע֥וּ (they listened) וְיִחֵ֑לּוּ (and waited),
וְ֝יִדְּמ֗וּ (and they kept silent) לְמ֣וֹ (for) עֲצָתִֽי׃ (my counsel).
22 אַחֲרֵ֣י (After) דְ֭בָרִי (my word), לֹ֣א (not) יִשְׁנ֑וּ (speak again),
וְ֝עָלֵ֗ימוֹ (and upon them) תִּטֹּ֥ף (dripped) מִלָּתִֽי׃ (my speech).
23 וְיִֽחֲל֣וּ (And they waited) כַמָּטָ֣ר (as for the rain) לִ֑י (for me),
וּ֝פִיהֶ֗ם (and their mouth) פָּעֲר֥וּ (they opened wide) לְמַלְקֽוֹשׁ׃ (as for the spring rain).
24 אֶשְׂחַ֣ק (I smiled) אֲ֭לֵהֶם (at them), לֹ֣א (and not) יַאֲמִ֑ינוּ (did they believe it),
וְא֥וֹר (and the light) פָּ֝נַ֗י (of my face) לֹ֣א (not) יַפִּילֽוּן׃ (did they let fall).
25 אֶֽבֲחַ֣ר (I chose) דַּרְכָּם֮ (their path) וְאֵשֵׁ֪ב (and sat) רֹ֥אשׁ (as chief),
וְ֭אֶשְׁכּוֹן (and I dwelt) כְּמֶ֣לֶךְ (as a king) בַּגְּד֑וּד (with his band),
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר (like one who) אֲבֵלִ֣ים (the mourners) יְנַחֵֽם׃ (comforts).
