29:1

וַיֹּסֶף אִיּוֹב שְׂאֵת מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר׃

And Job again took up his parable, and said:

29:2

מִי־יִתְּנֵנִי כְיַרְחֵי־קֶדֶם כִּימֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵנִי׃

Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;

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29:3

בְּהִלּוֹ נֵרוֹ עֲלֵי רֹאשִׁי לְאוֹרוֹ אֵלֶךְ חֹשֶׁךְ׃

When His lamp shined above my head, And by His light I walked through darkness;

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29:4

כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי בִּימֵי חָרְפִּי בְּסוֹד אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵי אָהֳלִי׃

As I was in the days of my youth, When the converse of God was upon my tent;

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29:5

בְּעוֹד שַׁדַּי עִמָּדִי סְבִיבוֹתַי נְעָרָי׃

When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were about me;

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29:6

בִּרְחֹץ הֲלִיכַי בְּחֵמָה וְצוּר יָצוּק עִמָּדִי פַּלְגֵי־שָׁמֶן׃

When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

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29:7

בְּצֵאתִי שַׁעַר עֲלֵי־קָרֶת בָּרְחוֹב אָכִין מוֹשָׁבִי׃

When I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the broad place,

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29:8

רָאוּנִי נְעָרִים וְנֶחְבָּאוּ וִישִׁישִׁים קָמוּ עָמָדוּ׃

The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged rose up and stood;

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29:9

שָׂרִים עָצְרוּ בְמִלִּים וְכַף יָשִׂימוּ לְפִיהֶם׃

The princes refrained talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;

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29:10

קוֹל־נְגִידִים נֶחְבָּאוּ וּלְשׁוֹנָם לְחִכָּם דָּבֵקָה׃

The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

29:11

כִּי אֹזֶן שָׁמְעָה וַתְּאַשְּׁרֵנִי וְעַיִן רָאֲתָה וַתְּעִידֵנִי׃

For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me;

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29:12

כִּי־אֲמַלֵּט עָנִי מְשַׁוֵּעַ וְיָתוֹם וְלֹא־עֹזֵר לוֹ׃

Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him.

29:13

בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד עָלַי תָּבֹא וְלֵב אַלְמָנָה אַרְנִן׃

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

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29:14

צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי כִּמְעִיל וְצָנִיף מִשְׁפָּטִי׃

I put on righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

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29:15

עֵינַיִם הָיִיתִי לַעִוֵּר וְרַגְלַיִם לַפִּסֵּחַ אָנִי׃

I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame.

29:16

אָב אָנֹכִי לָאֶבְיוֹנִים וְרִב לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵהוּ׃

I was a father to the needy; And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

29:17

וָאֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּעוֹת עַוָּל וּמִשִּׁנָּיו אַשְׁלִיךְ טָרֶף׃

And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.

29:18

וָאֹמַר עִם־קִנִּי אֶגְוָע וְכַחוֹל אַרְבֶּה יָמִים׃

Then I said: ‘I shall die with my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the phoenix;

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29:19

שָׁרְשִׁי פָתוּחַ אֱלֵי־מָיִם וְטַל יָלִין בִּקְצִירִי׃

My root shall be spread out to the waters, And the dew shall lie all night upon my branch;

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29:20

כְּבוֹדִי חָדָשׁ עִמָּדִי וְקַשְׁתִּי בְּיָדִי תַחֲלִיף׃

My glory shall be fresh in me, And my bow shall be renewed in my hand.’

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29:21

לִי־שָׁמְעוּ וְיִחֵלּוּ וְיִדְּמוּ לְמוֹ עֲצָתִי׃

Unto me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.

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29:22

אַחֲרֵי דְבָרִי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ וְעָלֵימוֹ תִּטֹּף מִלָּתִי׃

After my words they spoke not again; And my speech dropped upon them.

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29:23

וְיִחֲלוּ כַמָּטָר לִי וּפִיהֶם פָּעֲרוּ לְמַלְקוֹשׁ׃

And they waited for me as for the rain; And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

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29:24

אֶשְׂחַק אֲלֵהֶם לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ וְאוֹר פָּנַי לֹא יַפִּילוּן׃

If I laughed on them, they believed it not; And the light of my countenance they cast not down.

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29:25

אֶבֲחַר דַּרְכָּם וְאֵשֵׁב רֹאשׁ וְאֶשְׁכּוֹן כְּמֶלֶךְ בַּגְּדוּד כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵם׃

I chose out their way, and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king in the army, As one that comforteth the mourners.

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