Job 29

1 Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:

And Job continued to take up 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?

Who will give me back months like those which are past, days like those when God guarded me;

3 When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?

When his lamp shone over my head, when by his light I could walk in 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 abundance, when the confidence of God was upon my tent:

5 When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?

When the Almighty was yet with me, when my servants stood round about me;

6 When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil?

When I bathed my steps in cream, and the rock poured out near me streamlets 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 close by the city, when in the open place I established my seat:

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

Young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged rose up, and remained standing;

9 The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.

Princes stopped in the midst of [their] words, and laid their hand on their mouth:

10 The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.

The voice of nobles was arrested, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.

11 The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:

For the ear that heard me called me happy; and the eye that saw me bore witness for 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, yea, 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 the heart of the widow I caused 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 took righteousness as my garment, and it clothed me: as a robe and a mitre was justice unto me.

15 I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame.

Eyes was I to the blind; and feet to the lame was I.

16 I was the father of the poor: and the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.

A father was I to the needy; and the cause of him I knew not I used to investigate.

17 I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.

And I broke the cutting-teeth of the wrong-doer, and out of his teeth I cast down his prey.

18 And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.

And I said then, “In the midst of my nest shall I depart hence, and like the sand shall I have many days.

19 My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.

My root will stand open for the water, and the dew will lodge on my boughs.

20 My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.

My glory will ever be new with me, and my bow will acquire fresh strength in my hand.”

21 They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.

Unto me men listened, and waited, and watched in silence for my counsel

22 To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.

After my words they made no reply, and my speech dropped on them [like dew].

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 wide their mouth 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.

I smiled on those that had lost their confidence; and the light of my countenance they never cast 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 their way for them, and I sat as chief, and dwelt as king in his army, as one that comforteth mourners.