Job 29
1 And Job continued his discourse:
And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: —
2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
Who doth make 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 upon my tent.
5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Round about 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 rivulets 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.
Seen me have youths, and they, 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 a hand they place 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 hath been hidden, And their tongue to the palate hath cleaved.
11 For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
For the ear heard, and declareth me happy, And the eye hath seen, and testifieth [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 hath no helper.
13 The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
The blessing of the perishing cometh on me, And the heart of the widow I cause to sing.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
Righteousness I have put on, and it clotheth me, As a robe and a diadem my justice.
15 I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
Eyes I have been to the blind, And feet to the lame [am] I.
16 I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
A father I [am] 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, 'With my nest I expire, And as the sand I multiply days.'
19 My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
My root is open unto the waters, And dew doth lodge on my branch.
20 My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
My honour [is] fresh with me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.
21 Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
To me they have hearkened, Yea, 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 change not, And on them doth my speech drop,
23 They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
And they wait as [for] rain for me, And their mouth they have opened 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 laugh unto them — they give no credence, And the light of my face cause not 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 head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When mourners he doth comfort.
