< Job 29 >

1 Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:
And Job continued his discourse:
2 Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
3 When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?
when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?
when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
5 When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?
when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
6 When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil?
when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 When I went out to the gate of the city, and in the street they prepared me a chair?
When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up and stood.
the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
9 The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.
The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
10 The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.
The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
11 The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:
For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
12 Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that had no helper.
because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.
The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment, as with a robe and a diadem.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
15 I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame.
I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
16 I was the father of the poor: and the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.
I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
17 I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.
I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
18 And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.
So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.
My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
20 My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.
My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.
Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
22 To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.
After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
23 They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for a latter shower.
They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
24 If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.
If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
25 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.
I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.

< Job 29 >