Job 29
1 And Job continued his discourse:
And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
“Who makes me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God’s preserving me?
3 when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God on my tent.
5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Around me—my young ones,
6 when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me—streams of oil.
7 When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
8 the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
Youths have seen me, and they have been hidden, And the aged have risen—they stood up.
9 The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
Princes have kept in words, And they place a 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 leaders has been hidden, And their tongue has cleaved to the palate.
11 For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
For the ear heard, and declares me blessed, And the eye has seen, and testifies [to] me.
12 because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who has no helper.
13 The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
The blessing of the perishing comes on me, And I cause the heart of the widow to sing.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
I have put on righteousness, and it clothes me, My justice as a robe and a crown.
15 I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
I have been eyes to the blind, And I [am] feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
I [am] a father to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
17 I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
18 So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
And I say, I expire with my nest, And I multiply 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 open to the waters, And dew lodges on my branch.
20 My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
My glory [is] fresh with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
21 Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
They have listened to me, Indeed, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
22 After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
After my word they do not change, And my speech drops on them,
23 They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
And they wait for me as [for] rain, And they have opened wide their mouth [As] for the spring rain.
24 If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
I laugh at them—they give no credence, And do not cause the light of my face to fall.
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 choose their way, and sit [as] head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When he comforts mourners.”
