Job 29

1 And Job again took up the word and said,

And Job again took up his parable, and said:

2 If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!

Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

3 When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.

When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness;

4 As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;

As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse of God was upon my tent;

5 While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;

When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me;

6 When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.

When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

7 When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,

When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the broad place,

8 The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;

The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood;

9 The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;

The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;

10 The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.

The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

11 For when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me;

For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me;

12 For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.

Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.

13 The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14 I put on righteousness as my clothing, and was full of it; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; my justice was as a robe and a diadem.

15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.

I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

16 I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.

I was a father to the needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

17 By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.

And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

18 Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;

Then I said: 'I shall die with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix;

19 My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,

My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew shall lie all night upon my branch;

20 My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.

My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow shall be renewed in my hand.'

21 Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.

Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

22 After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;

After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

23 They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.

And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

24 I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.

If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

25 I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...

I chose out their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.