Job 29
1 And Job continued and said in his parable,
Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:
2 Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!
Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?
3 As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.
When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?
4 [As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.
As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?
5 When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;
When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?
6 when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.
When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil?
7 When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.
When I went out to the gate of the city, and in the street they prepared me a chair?
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up and stood.
9 And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.
10 And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.
The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved 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 witness to me:
12 For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.
Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that 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 that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.
14 Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgement like a mantle.
I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment, as with a robe and a diadem.
15 I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.
I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to 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 the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.
17 And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.
I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.
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 shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.
19 [My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.
My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.
My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.
21 [Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.
They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.
22 At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.
To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon 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 a latter shower.
24 Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.
If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.
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 had a mind to go to them, I sat first, and when I sat as a king, with his army standing about him, yet I was a comforter of them that mourned.
