Job 29
1 And Job continued his parable and said,
Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when 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 When his lamp shone over my head, [and] by his light I walked through darkness;
When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret counsel of God was over my tent,
As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me;
When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?
6 When my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! ...
When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil?
7 When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,
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 the aged arose [and] stood up;
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up and stood.
9 Princes refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth;
The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.
11 When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me, and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me;
The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:
12 For I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper.
Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that 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.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was as a mantle and a turban.
I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment, as with a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame;
I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to 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 poor: and the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.
17 And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.
18 And I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;
And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.
19 My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew will lie all night on my branch;
My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.
20 My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow be renewed in my hand.
My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.
21 Unto me they listened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel:
They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.
22 After my words they spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them;
To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for a latter shower.
24 [If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.
If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.
25 I chose their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth 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.
