1Job fortsatte:2„Ak, gid jeg havde det som i gamle dage, dengang Gud sørgede så godt for mig,3da han udøste sin velsignelse over mig og fjernede alle forhindringer fra min vej.4Jeg husker endnu mine velmagtsdage, dengang Gud var gæst i mit hjem.5Den Almægtige var altid hos mig, og jeg havde mine børn omkring mig.6Mine køer gav spandevis af mælk og min olivenpresse mængder af olie.7Jeg havde min plads blandt lederne i byen og sad som dommer på byens torv.8De unge trådte ærbødigt til side, når jeg kom, og de ældre rejste sig op i respekt.9Snakken forstummede blandt lederne, alle tav stille for at høre mig tale.10Selv de mest ansete satte fingeren for munden, for at alle kunne høre, hvad jeg havde at sige.11Alle, som hørte mig, lovpriste min visdom, alle, der så mine handlinger, roste mig for dem.12Jeg reddede de hjælpeløse ud af deres problemer, hjalp de forældreløse til at få deres ret.13De døende velsignede mig, deres enker jublede af glæde.14Jeg blev anset for at være ærligheden selv, retfærdigheden i egen høje person.15Jeg blev de blindes øjne og de lammes fødder.16Jeg blev de fattiges forsørger og de fremmedes forsvarer.17Jeg vristede uskyldige ofre ud af gabet på de gudløse.18Jeg forventede en fredfyldt død efter et langt og lykkeligt liv.19Jeg var som et træ, hvis rødder når til vandet, og hvis grene forfriskes af nattens væde.20Jeg blev æret hver eneste dag, og min styrke blev dagligt fornyet.21Folk spurgte mig til råds og lyttede opmærksomt, de ventede spændt på, hvad jeg havde at sige.22Når jeg havde talt, sagde ingen mig imod, men de tog imod mine råd med glæde.23De så frem til mine gode råd, som landmanden ser frem til regnen, og sugede min vejledning til sig, som var de den tørre jord.24Når jeg smilte til folk, fik de håbet tilbage, når jeg så venligt på dem, lyste de af glæde.25Jeg viste dem vejen, de skulle gå, og fungerede som deres leder. Jeg gik i spidsen for dem som en konge, jeg var den, som trøstede de sørgende.
1And Job again took up his discourse, and said: (4.Mos 23,7; Job 27,1)2“Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,3when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness, (2.Sam 21,17; Job 18,6; Salm 18,28)4as I was in my prime,[1] when the friendship of God was upon my tent, (Job 15,8; Salm 25,14; Ord 3,32)5when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were all around me, (Job 1,2; Salm 128,3)6when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil! (1.Mos 49,11; 5.Mos 32,13; 5.Mos 33,24; Job 20,17; Salm 81,16)7When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square, (Job 5,4)8the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose and stood;9the princes refrained from talking and laid their hand on their mouth; (Job 21,5)10the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. (Salm 22,15; Salm 137,6; Klag 4,4; Ez 3,26)11When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved,12because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him. (Salm 72,12)13The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. (Ruth 2,20; Job 31,20; Ord 31,6; Es 27,13)14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. (Job 19,9; Salm 132,9; Es 11,5; Es 59,17; Es 61,10; Es 62,3; Zak 3,5; Ef 6,14; 1.Thess 5,8)15I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. (4.Mos 10,31)16I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. (Ord 29,7)17I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth. (Salm 3,7; Salm 58,6; Ord 30,14)18Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand, (1.Mos 22,17; 4.Mos 24,21; Job 39,27; Salm 30,6)19my roots spread out to the waters, with the dew all night on my branches, (Job 14,9; Job 18,16; Salm 1,3)20my glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.’ (1.Mos 49,24; Es 40,31; Es 41,1)21“Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel.22After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them. (5.Mos 32,2; 5.Mos 33,28)23They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. (5.Mos 11,14; Salm 119,131; Ord 16,15; Es 5,14; Jer 3,3; Zak 10,1)24I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down. (1.Mos 4,5; Ord 16,15)25I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners. (Job 15,24)