Job 29
1 And Job continued his discourse:
Job resumed speaking and said,
2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
“Oh, that I were as I was in the past months when God cared for me,
3 when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
when his lamp shined on my head, and when I walked through darkness by his light.
4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
Oh, that I were as I was in the ripeness of my days when the friendship of God was on 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 children were around me,
6 when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
when my way was covered with cream, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
When I went out to the city gate, when I sat in my place in the city square,
8 the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
the young men saw me and kept their distance from me in respect, and the aged people rose and stood for me.
9 The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
The princes used to refrain from talking when I came; they would lay their hand on their mouths.
10 The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
The voices of the noblemen were hushed, and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouths.
11 For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
For after their ears heard me, they would then bless me; after their eyes saw me, they would then give witness to me and approve of me
12 because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
because I rescued the one who was poor when he cried out, and the one who had no father when he had no one 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 about to perish came on me; 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 like a robe and a turban.
15 I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
I was eyes to blind people; I was feet to lame people.
16 I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
I was a father to needy people; I would examine the case even of one whom I did not know.
17 I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
I broke the jaws of the unrighteous man; I plucked the victim out from between his teeth.
18 So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
Then I said, 'I will die in my nest; I will multiply my days like the grains of sand.
19 My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
My roots are spread out to the waters, and dew lies all night on my branches.
20 My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
The honor in me is always fresh, and the bow of my strength is always new in my hand.'
21 Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
To me men listened; they waited for me; they stayed silent to hear my advice.
22 After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
After my words were done, they did not speak again; my speech dropped like water on them.
23 They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
They always waited for me as they waited for rain; they opened their mouth wide to drink in my words, as they would do 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 did not expect it; they did not reject the light of my face.
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 selected their way and sat as their chief; I lived like a king in his army, like one who comforts mourners.
