Job 29
1 And Job again took up the word and said,
And Job again took up his measure, 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 it were with me as in the months of old, as in the days, when, GOD, used to watch over me;
3 When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.
When his lamp shone over my head, by whose light, I could go 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 prime, when, the intimacy of GOD, was over my tent;
5 While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;
While yet the Almighty was with me, round about me, were my young men;
6 When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.
When my steps were bathed in milk, and, the rock, poured out beside me, rivulets 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 out to the gate unto the city, in the open place, made ready my seat,
8 The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;
Young men saw me, and hid themselves, and, the aged, arose—they stood;
9 The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;
Rulers, restrained speech, and, a hand, laid they on their mouth;
10 The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.
The voice of nobles, was hushed, and their tongue to their palate, did cleave;
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;
When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness;
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 used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him that had no helper;
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, upon me was wont to descend, and, the heart of the widow, caused I 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.
Righteousness, I put on, and it clothed me, Like a robe and turban, was my, justice;
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.
Eyes, became I to the, blind, and, feet to the lame, was, I!
16 I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.
A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it 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 shivered the fangs of the perverse, —and, out of his teeth, I tare the prey.
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 said I, Like a stem, shall I grow old, yea, as the sand, shall I multiply days:
19 My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,
My root, is laid open to the waters, and, the dew, shall lodge for the night in my boughs;
20 My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.
Mine honour, shall be young again with me, and, my bow, in my hand, be renewed.
21 Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.
To me, men hearkened, 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 I had spoken, they spake not again, and, upon them, used my speech to drop;
23 They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.
And they waited, as for rain, for me, and, their mouths, they opened wide for the spring-rain;
24 I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.
I laughed at them—they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;
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 chief, —and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.
