Job’s Final Defense
1Job continued his discourse:
2“How I long for the months gone by,
for the days when God watched over me,
3when his lamp shone on my head
and by his light I walked through darkness!
4Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,
5when the Almighty was still with me
and my children were around me,
6when my path was drenched with cream
and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.
7“When I went to the gate of the city
and took my seat in the public square,
8the young men saw me and stepped aside
and the old men rose to their feet;
9the chief men refrained from speaking
and covered their mouths with their hands;
10the voices of the nobles were hushed,
and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
11Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
and those who saw me commended me,
12because I rescued the poor who cried for help,
and the fatherless who had none to assist them.
13The one who was dying blessed me;
I made the widow’s heart sing.
14I put on righteousness as my clothing;
justice was my robe and my turban.
15I was eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
16I was a father to the needy;
I took up the case of the stranger.
17I broke the fangs of the wicked
and snatched the victims from their teeth.
18“I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,
my days as numerous as the grains of sand.
19My roots will reach to the water,
and the dew will lie all night on my branches.
20My glory will not fade;
the bow will be ever new in my hand.’
21“People listened to me expectantly,
waiting in silence for my counsel.
22After I had spoken, they spoke no more;
my words fell gently on their ears.
23They waited for me as for showers
and drank in my words as the spring rain.
24When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
the light of my face was precious to them.29:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
25I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;
I dwelt as a king among his troops;
I was like one who comforts mourners.
回忆昔日的幸福
1约伯接着说：
2“但愿我回到从前的岁月，
回到上帝看顾我的日子。
3那时，祂的灯在我头上照耀，
祂的光伴我走过黑暗。
4那时，我身强力壮，
上帝是我家的密友；
5全能者尚与我同在，
儿女围绕在我身旁；
6我用奶油洗脚，
磐石为我涌出油河。
7“那时，我去城门口，
到广场就坐，
8青年看见我便回避，
老人也起身肃立；
9王侯都停止讲话，
用手掩口；
10权贵都静默无声，
舌头紧贴上膛。
11听见我的都祝福我，
看见我的都称赞我。
12因为我拯救求助的穷人，
解救无人援助的孤儿。
13临终的人为我祝福，
我使寡妇心里欢唱。
14我以公义为衣穿在身上，
公正是我的外袍和头巾。
15我做盲人的眼、
瘸腿之人的脚；
16我做穷人的父，
为陌生人申冤。
17我打落恶人的毒牙，
从他们口中救出受害者。
18“我想，‘我必在家中安然离世，
我的年日必多如尘沙。
19我的根伸展到水边，
枝子整夜沐浴甘露。
20我的尊荣永不褪色。
手中的弓常新不败。’
21“人们期待聆听我的话，
默然等候我的指教。
22我讲完后，无人再发言；
我的话滋润他们的心田。
23他们盼我如盼甘霖，
张着口如慕春雨。
24我的微笑令他们受宠若惊，
他们从不使我脸色不悦。
25我为他们选择道路，并且做首领，
我就像住在军中的君王，
又如伤心之人的安慰者。
