Job 29
1 And Job continued his discourse:
Job went on speaking.
2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
“I wish I was back in the old days when God looked after me!
3 when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
His light shone above me and lit my way through the darkness.
4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
When I was young and strong, God was my friend and spoke to me in my home.
5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
The Almighty was still with me and I was surrounded with my children.
6 when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
My herds produced much milk, and oil flowed freely from my olive presses.
7 When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square.
8 the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
The young men saw me and moved out of the way; the elders would stand up for me.
9 The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
The leaders remained silent and covered their mouths with their hands.
10 The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
The voices of the officials were hushed; they held their tongues in my presence.
11 For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
Everyone who listened to me praised me; whoever saw me commended me,
12 because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
because I gave to the poor who called out to me and the orphans who had no one to help them.
13 The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
Those who were about to die blessed me; I made the widow sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
Being true and acting right were what I wore for clothing.
15 I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
I was like eyes for the blind and feet for the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
I was like a father to the poor, and I defended the rights of strangers.
17 I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
I broke the jaw of the wicked and made them drop their prey from their teeth.
18 So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
I thought I would die at home, after many years.
19 My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
Like a tree my roots spread out to the water; the dew rests on my branches overnight.
20 My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
Fresh honors were always being given to me; my strength was renewed like an unfailing bow.
21 Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
People listened carefully to what I had to say; they kept quiet as they listened to my advice.
22 After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
Once I had spoken they had nothing else to say; what I said was enough.
23 They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
They waited for me like people waiting for rain; their mouths wide open for the spring rain.
24 If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
When I smiled at them they could hardly believe it; my approval meant all the world to them.
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 decided the way forward as their leader, living like a king among his soldiers, and when they were sad I comforted them.
