Job 29
1 Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:
Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?
Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3 When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?
When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?
As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
5 When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?
When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6 When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil?
When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers 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 gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up and stood.
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.
The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.
The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:
When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12 Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that had no helper.
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to 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: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I 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 poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17 I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.
And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.
Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.
My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.
My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.
Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.
After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for a latter shower.
And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.
If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
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 out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforts the mourners.
