Job 29

1 And Job continued his parable and said,

Job resumed speaking and said,

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

“Oh, that I were as I was in the past months when God cared for me,

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

when his lamp shined on my head, and when I walked through darkness by his light.

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

Oh, that I were as I was in the ripeness of my days when the friendship of God was on my tent,

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

when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,

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

when my way was covered with cream, and the rock poured out for me streams 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 city gate, when I sat in my place in the city square,

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

the young men saw me and kept their distance from me in respect, and the aged people rose and stood for me.

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

The princes used to refrain from talking when I came; they would lay their hand on their mouths.

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

The voices of the noblemen were hushed, and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouths.

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

For after their ears heard me, they would then bless me; after their eyes saw me, they would then give witness to me and approve of me

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

because I rescued the one who was poor when he cried out, and the one who had no father when he had no one to help him.

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 who was about to perish came on me; I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

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

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban.

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

I was eyes to blind people; I was feet to lame people.

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

I was a father to needy people; I would examine the case even of one whom I did not know.

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

I broke the jaws of the unrighteous man; I plucked the victim out from between his teeth.

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

Then I said, 'I will die in my nest; I will multiply my days like the grains of sand.

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

My roots are spread out to the waters, and dew lies all night on my branches.

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

The honor in me is always fresh, and the bow of my strength is always new in my hand.'

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

To me men listened; they waited for me; they stayed silent to hear my advice.

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

After my words were done, they did not speak again; my speech dropped like water on them.

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

They always waited for me as they waited for rain; they opened their mouth wide to drink in my words, as they would do for the latter rain.

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

I smiled on them when they did not expect it; they did not reject the light of my face.

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

I selected their way and sat as their chief; I lived like a king in his army, like one who comforts mourners.