28AND HE SAID TO <THE> HUMANKIND HERE! [THE] FEAR OF [THE] LORD THAT [IS] WISDOM AND TO TURN FROM EVIL [IS] UNDERSTANDING 28And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
1AND HE REPEATED JOB TO TAKE UP DISCOURSE HIS AND HE SAID Job’s Former Blessings 1And Job continued his discourse:
2WHO? WILL HE GIVE ME LIKE MONTHS OF LONG AGO LIKE [THE] DAYS <OF> [WHEN] GOD HE WATCHED OVER ME 2“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
3WHEN MADE SHINE HE LAMP HIS OVER HEAD MY TO LIGHT HIS I WALKED DARKNESS 3when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
4JUST AS I WAS IN [THE] DAYS OF PRIME MY IN [THE] INTIMACY OF GOD ON TENT MY 4when I was in my prime,*NoteCloseHebrew in the time of my harvest when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
5WHILE STILL [THE] ALMIGHTY [WAS] WITH ME [WERE] AROUND ME LADS MY 5when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
6WHEN BATHED STEPS MY IN CURD<S> AND A ROCK IT POURED OUT BESIDE ME STREAMS OF OIL 6when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7WHEN WENT OUT I [THE] GATE ON [THE] TOWN IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE I PREPARED SEAT MY 7When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
8THEY SAW ME YOUNG MEN AND THEY HID THEMSELVES AND OLD [MEN] THEY ROSE THEY STOOD 8the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
9CHIEFS THEY RESTRAINED <IN> WORDS AND A HAND THEY PUT TO MOUTH THEIR 9The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
10[THE] VOICE OF NOBLES THEY WERE HIDDEN AND TONGUE THEIR TO PALATE THEIR IT STUCK 10The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
11FOR AN EAR IT HEARD AND IT CALLED BLESSED ME AND AN EYE IT SAW AND IT BORE WITNESS TO ME 11For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
12THAT I RESCUED [THE] AFFLICTED [WHO] CRIED FOR HELP AND [THE] FATHERLESS AND [THE ONE WHOM] NOT A HELPER [BELONGED] TO HIM 12because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
13[THE] BLESSING OF [ONE] ABOUT TO PERISH ON ME IT CAME AND [THE] HEART OF A WIDOW I MADE SING FOR JOY 13The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14RIGHTEOUSNESS I PUT ON AND IT CLOTHED ME [WAS] LIKE A ROBE AND A TURBAN JUSTICE MY 14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
15EYES I WAS TO THE BLIND AND [WAS] FEET TO THE LAME I 15I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
16[WAS] A FATHER I TO THE NEEDY [PEOPLE] AND A CASE AT LAW OF [THE ONE WHOM] NOT I KNEW I INVESTIGATED IT 16I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
17AND I BROKE! [THE] JAWS OF [THE] UNRIGHTEOUS AND FROM TEETH HIS I THREW [THE] PREY 17I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
18AND I SAID WITH NEST MY I WILL EXPIRE AND LIKE <THE> SAND I WILL INCREASE DAYS 18So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
19ROOT MY [IS] OPENED TO WATER AND DEW IT WILL REMAIN OVERNIGHT ON BRANCH[ES] MY 19My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
20HONOR MY [IS] NEW WITH ME AND BOW MY IN HAND MY IT WILL SHOW NEWNESS 20My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
21TO ME PEOPLE LISTENED AND THEY WAITED AND THEY MAY BE SILENT FOR COUNSEL MY 21Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
22AFTER WORD MY NOT THEY REPEATED AND ON THEM IT DROPPED SPEECH MY 22After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
23AND THEY WAITED LIKE THE RAIN FOR ME AND MOUTH THEIR THEY OPENED WIDE FOR SPRING RAIN 23They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
24I LAUGHED TO THEM NOT THEY BELIEVED AND [THE] LIGHT OF FACE MY NOT THEY MADE FALL! 24If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
25I CHOSE WAY THEIR SO I MAY SIT [AS] CHIEF SO I MAY DWELL LIKE A KING AMONG THE TROOP[S] JUST AS MOURNERS SOMEONE COMFORTS 25I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners. [’’]