Job 29
1 And Job continued and said in his parable,
Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:
2 Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!
Who will grant to me that I might be as I was in former months, according to the days when God kept watch over me?
3 As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.
At that time, his lamp shined over my head, and by his light, I walked through the darkness.
4 [As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.
I was then just as in the days of my youth, when God was privately in my tabernacle.
5 When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;
At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.
6 when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.
Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.
7 When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.
When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.
The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.
9 And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.
10 And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.
The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.
11 For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.
The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.
12 For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.
This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.
13 Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yes, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.
The blessing of him who would have been destroyed came upon me, and I consoled the heart of the widow.
14 Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgement like a mantle.
I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.
15 I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.
I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.
16 I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.
I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.
17 And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.
I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.
18 And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm tree; I shall live a long while.
And I said, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.
19 [My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.
My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.
My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”
21 [Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.
Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.
22 At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.
To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.
23 As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.
They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.
24 Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.
If I had ever laughed at them, they would not have believed it, and the light of my face was not cast down towards the ground.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and lived as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.
If I wished to go to them, I sat down first, and, though I sat like a king surrounded by an army, yet I was a comforter to those who mourned.
