Job 29

1 Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:

And Job again took up the word and said,

2 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?

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

3 At that time, his lamp shined over my head, and by his light, I walked through the darkness.

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

4 I was then just as in the days of my youth, when God was privately in my tabernacle.

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

5 At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.

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

6 Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.

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

7 When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.

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

8 The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.

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

9 The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.

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

10 The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.

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

11 The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.

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

12 This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.

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.

13 The blessing of him who would have been destroyed came upon me, and I consoled the heart of the widow.

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

14 I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.

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

15 I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.

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

16 I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.

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

17 I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.

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

18 And I said, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.

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

19 My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.

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

20 My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”

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

21 Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.

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

22 To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.

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

23 They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.

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

24 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.

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

25 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.

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