Shir ha-Shirim (שיר השירים ) - Cantico dei Cantici 29

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 וַיֹּסֶף אִיֹּוב שְׂאֵת מְשָׁלֹו וַיֹּאמַר	1 And Job continued his solemn discourse. He said:
2 מִי־יִתְּנֵנִי כְיַרְחֵי־קֶדֶם כִּימֵי אֱלֹוהַּ יִשְׁמְרֵנִי	2 Wil no one bring back to me the months that have gone, and the days when God was my guardian,
3 בְּהִלֹּו נֵרֹו עֲלֵי רֹאשִׁי לְאֹורֹו אֵלֶךְ חֹשֶׁךְ	3 when his lamp shone over my head, and his light was my guide in the darkness?
4 כַּאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי בִּימֵי חָרְפִּי בְּסֹוד אֱלֹוהַּ עֲלֵי אָהֳלִי	4 Shal I ever see my days of harvest again when God protected my tent;
5 בְּעֹוד דַּי עִמָּדִי סְבִיבֹותַי נְעָרָי	5 when Shaddai stil dwelt with me, and my children were around me;
6 בִּרְחֹץ הֲלִיכַי בְּחֵמָה וְצוּר יָצוּק עִמָּדִי פַּלְגֵי־שָׁמֶן	6 when my feet were bathed in milk, and streams of oil poured from the rocks?
7 בְּצֵאתִי שַׁעַר עֲלֵי־קָרֶת בָּרְחֹוב אָכִין מֹושָׁבִי	7 When I went out to the gate of the city, when I took my seat in the square,
8 רָאוּנִי נְעָרִים וְנֶחְבָּאוּ וִישִׁישִׁים קָמוּ עָמָדוּ	8 as soon as I appeared, the young men stepped aside, and the old men rose to their feet.
9 רִים עָצְרוּ בְמִלִּים וְכַף יָשִׂימוּ לְפִיהֶם	9 Men of note broke off their speeches, and put their hands over their mouths;
10 קֹול־נְגִידִים נֶחְבָּאוּ וּלְשֹׁונָם לְחִכָּם דָּבֵקָה	10 the voices of rulers were silenced, and their tongues stayed stil in their mouths.
11 כִּי אֹזֶן מְעָה וַתְּאַשְּׁרֵנִי וְעַיִן רָאֲתָה וַתְּעִידֵנִי	11 On hearing me, people congratulated me, on seeing me, people deferred to me,
12 כִּי־אֲמַלֵּט עָנִי מְשַׁוֵּעַ וְיָתֹום וְלֹא־עֹזֵר לֹו	12 because I freed the poor in distress and the orphan who had no helper.
13 בִּרְכַּת אֹבֵד עָלַי תָּבֹא וְלֵב אַלְמָנָה אַרְנִן	13 The dying man's blessing rested on me and I gave the widow's heart cause to rejoice.
14 צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי כִּמְעִיל וְצָנִיף מִשְׁפָּטִי	14 Uprightness I wore as a garment, fair judgement was my cloak and my turban.
15 עֵינַיִם הָיִיתִי לַעִוֵּר וְרַגְלַיִם לַפִּסֵּחַ אָנִי	15 I was eyes for the blind, and feet for the lame.
16 אָב אָנֹכִי לָאֶבְיֹונִים וְרִב לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי אֶחְקְרֵהוּ	16 Who but me was father of the poor? The stranger's case had a hearing from me.
17 וָאֲשַׁבְּרָה מְתַלְּעֹות עַוָּל וּמִשִּׁנָּיו אַשְׁלִיךְ טָרֶף	17 I used to break the fangs of the wicked, and snatch their prey from their jaws.
18 וָאֹמַר עִם־קִנִּי אֶגְוָע וְכַחֹול אַרְבֶּה יָמִים	18 And I used to say, 'I shall die in honour, after days as numerous as the sand.
19 שָׁרְשִׁי פָתוּחַ אֱלֵי־מָיִם וְטַל יָלִין בִּקְצִירִי	19 My roots can reach the water, the dews of night settle on my leaves.
20 כְּבֹודִי חָדָשׁ עִמָּדִי וְקַשְׁתִּי בְּיָדִי תַחֲלִיף	20 My glory wil be for ever new and the bow in my hand for ever strong.'
21 לִי־שָׁמְעוּ וְיִחֵלּוּ וְיִדְּמוּ לְמֹו עֲצָתִי	21 They waited anxiously to hear me, and listened in silence to what I had to say.
22 אַחֲרֵי דְבָרִי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ וְעָלֵימֹו תִּטֹּף מִלָּתִי	22 When I had finished, no one contradicted, my words dropping on them, one by one.
23 וְיִחֲלוּ כַמָּטָר לִי וּפִיהֶם פָּעֲרוּ לְמַלְקֹושׁ	23 They waited for me as though for rain, open-mouthed as though for a late shower.
24 אֶשְׂחַק אֲלֵהֶם לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ וְאֹור פָּנַי לֹא יַפִּילוּן	24 If I smiled at them, it was too good to be true, they watched my face for the least sign of favour.
25 אֶבֲחַר דַּרְכָּם וְאֵשֵׁב רֹאשׁ וְאֶשְׁכֹּון כְּמֶלֶךְ בַּגְּדוּד כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵם	25 As their chief, I told them which course to take, like a king living among his troops, and I led themwherever I chose.