Job 29
1 And Job continued his discourse:
And Job again took up his discourse, and said,
2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,
3 when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was upon my tent,
5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
when the Almighty was yet with me, and my sons were about me,
6 when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil to me,
7 When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
when I went forth to the gate to the city, when I prepared my seat in the street.
8 the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood.
9 The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
The rulers refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
The voice of the ranking men was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.
12 because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
Because I delivered the poor who cried, also the fatherless who had none to help him.
13 The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
The blessing of him who was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the case of him whom I did not know.
17 I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
My root is spread out to the waters, and the dew lays all night upon my branch.
20 My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
My glory is fresh in me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.
21 Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
To me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
After my words they spoke not again, and my speech distilled upon them.
23 They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
And they waited for me as for the rain. And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and they did not cast down the light of my countenance.
25 I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.
I chose out their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as a man who comforts the mourners.
