Job 29

1 And Job continued his discourse:

Job spoke again,

2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,

“I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.

3 when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,

During those years, [it was as though] God’s lamp [MET] shone on me and gave me light while I walked in the darkness.

4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,

At that time I was young and strong, and because God was my friend, [he protected] [PRS] my tent.

5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,

Almighty [God] was with me during those years when all my children were around me.

6 when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

[My herds] provided me with plenty of milk, and streams of oil flowed from the rock where my olives were pressed.

7 When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,

“Whenever I went to [the place where the elders gathered at] the city gate, I sat down with them,

8 the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.

and when the young men saw me, they stepped aside [respectfully], and the old men [also] stood [respectfully].

9 The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.

The leaders of the people stopped talking [DOU],

10 The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.

and even the most important men became quiet and ceased talking [MTY] [in order to hear me speak to them].

11 For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,

When they [SYN] all heard [what I told them], they said good things about me. When they [SYN] saw me (OR, what I had done), they commended me,

12 because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.

because I had helped the poor people when they cried out for help and I aided/helped orphans who had no one else to help them.

13 The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.

Those who were suffering and about to die praised [PRS] me, and I caused widows [SYN] to sing joyfully, [because of my helping them].

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.

I always acted justly; my continually doing that was like [MET] a robe that I wore and a turban [that was wrapped around my head].

15 I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.

[It was as though] [MET] I was eyes for blind people and feet for people who were lame.

16 I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.

I was [like] [MET] a father to poor people, and in courts I defended those who were strangers.

17 I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.

My causing wicked people [to be unable to continue oppressing others was like] [MET] breaking the fangs [of fierce wild animals] and forcing them to drop from their teeth/mouths the animals that they had caught/seized.

18 So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.

“At that time I thought, ‘Surely I will live securely, until I am very old [SIM], and I will die at home [with my family].’

19 My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.

I was [like a tree] [MET] whose roots reach down into the water and whose branches become wet with dew each night.

20 My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’

People always honored me, and I was always [strong like] [MET] a new bow.

21 Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.

“When I spoke, people waited to hear [what I would say] and remained silent until I advised them [what they should do].

22 After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.

After I finished speaking, they did not say any more; [it was as though] [MET] my words fell on their ears [like refreshing drops of rain].

23 They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.

They waited for me [to speak] like they wait for rain; they [appreciated what I said] like [MET] [farmers appreciate] the final rain in the spring [before the dry season].

24 If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.

When they were discouraged, I smiled at them [to encourage them]; they became encouraged when they saw that I approved of 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 was their leader, and I decided what things [would be good for them to do]; I was among them like [SIM] a king who is among his troops; I was like someone who comforts [others] who are mourning.”