Job 29

1 And Job continued his parable and said,

And Job continued and said in his parable,

2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!

3 When his lamp shone over my head, [and] by his light I walked through darkness;

As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.

4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret counsel of God was over my tent,

[As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.

5 When the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me;

When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;

6 When my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! ...

when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.

7 When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,

When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.

8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged arose [and] stood up;

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.

9 Princes refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth;

And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.

10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.

And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.

11 When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me, and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me;

For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.

12 For I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper.

For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.

13 The blessing of him that was perishing came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yes, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was as a mantle and a turban.

Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgement like a mantle.

15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame;

I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy, and the cause which I knew not I searched out;

I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.

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

And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.

18 And I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;

And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm tree; I shall live a long while.

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

[My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.

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

My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.

21 Unto me they listened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel:

[Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.

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

At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.

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

As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.

24 [If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.

Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.

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

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and lived as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.