Soliloquio de Job
1Job, retomando la palabra, dijo:
2«¡Cómo añoro los meses que se han ido,
los días en que Dios me cuidaba!
3Su lámpara alumbraba sobre mi cabeza
y por su luz podía andar entre tinieblas.
4¡Qué días aquellos, cuando yo estaba en mi apogeo
y Dios bendecía mi casa con su íntima amistad!
5Cuando aún estaba conmigo el Todopoderoso
y mis hijos me rodeaban;
6cuando ante mí corrían ríos de crema
y de las rocas fluían arroyos de aceite.
7»Cuando ocupaba mi puesto en el concejo de la ciudad29:7 cuando ocupaba … ciudad. Lit. cuando salía yo a las puertas de la ciudad.
y en la plaza pública tomaba asiento,
8los jóvenes al verme se hacían a un lado
y los ancianos se ponían de pie;
9los jefes se abstenían de hablar
y se tapaban la boca con las manos;
10los nobles bajaban la voz
y la lengua se pegaba a su paladar.
11Los que me oían, hablaban bien de mí;
los que me veían, me alababan.
12Si el pobre recurría a mí, yo lo rescataba
y también al huérfano si no tenía quien lo ayudara.
13Me bendecían los desahuciados;
¡por mí gritaba de alegría el corazón de las viudas!
14De justicia y rectitud me revestía;
ellas eran mi manto y mi turbante.
15Para los ciegos fui sus ojos;
para los tullidos, sus pies.
16Fui padre de los necesitados
y defensor de los extranjeros.
17A los malvados les rompí las mandíbulas;
¡de sus dientes les arrebaté la presa!
18»Llegué a pensar: “Moriré en mi propia casa;
mis días serán incontables como la arena del mar.
19Mis raíces llegarán hasta las aguas;
el rocío de la noche se quedará en mis ramas.
20Mi gloria conservará en mí su lozanía
y el arco en mi mano se mantendrá firme”.
21»La gente me escuchaba expectante
y en silencio aguardaba mi consejo.
22Hablaba yo y nadie replicaba;
mis palabras hallaban cabida29:22 hallaban cabida. Lit. caían como gotas. en sus oídos.
23Anhelaban mis palabras
como quien espera las lluvias de primavera.
24Si yo les sonreía, no podían creerlo;
mi rostro sonriente los reanimaba.29:24 mi rostro … reanimaba. Lit. la luz de mi rostro no los hacía caer.
25Yo les indicaba el camino a seguir;
me sentaba a la cabecera;
habitaba entre ellos como un rey entre su tropa,
como quien consuela a los que están de luto.
Job’s Final Speech
1Job continued to speak. He said,
2“How I long for the times when things were better!
That’s when God watched over me.
3The light of his lamp shone on me.
I walked through darkness by his light.
4Those were the best days of my life.
That’s when God’s friendship blessed my house.
5The Mighty One was still with me.
My children were all around me.
6The path in front of me was like sweet cream.
It was as if the rock poured out olive oil for me.
7“In those days I went to the city gate.
I took my seat as a member of the council.
8Young people who saw me stepped to one side.
Old people stood up as I approached.
9The leaders stopped speaking.
They covered their mouths with their hands.
10The voices of the nobles became quiet.
Their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
11Everyone who heard me said good things about me.
Those who saw me honored me.
12That’s because I saved poor people who cried out for help.
I saved helpless children whose fathers had died.
13Those who were dying gave me their blessing.
I made the hearts of widows sing.
14I put on a godly life as if it were my clothes.
Fairness was my robe and my turban.
15I was like eyes for those who were blind.
I was like feet for those who couldn’t walk.
16I was like a father to needy people.
I stood up for strangers in court.
17Sinners are like animals that have powerful teeth.
But I took from their mouths the people they had caught.
18“I thought, ‘I’ll die in my own house.
The days of my life will be as many as the grains of sand.
19My roots will reach down to the water.
The dew will lie all night on my branches.
20I will remain healthy and strong.
My bow will stay as good as new in my hand.’
21“People wanted to hear what I had to say.
They waited silently for the advice I gave them.
22After I had spoken, they didn’t speak anymore.
My words fell gently on their ears.
23They waited for me just as they would wait for rain showers.
They drank my words just as they would drink the spring rain.
24When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it.
The light of my face lifted their spirits.
25I chose the way they should go. I sat as their chief.
I lived as a king lives among his troops.
I was like someone who comforts those who are sad.
