Job 29
1 Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:
And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
2 Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?
“Who makes me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God’s preserving me?
3 When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?
In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?
As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God on my tent.
5 When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?
When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Around me—my young ones,
6 When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil?
When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with 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 go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up and stood.
Youths have seen me, and they have been hidden, And the aged have risen—they stood up.
9 The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.
Princes have kept in words, And they place a hand on their mouth.
10 The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.
The voice of leaders has been hidden, And their tongue has cleaved to the palate.
11 The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:
For the ear heard, and declares me blessed, And the eye has seen, and testifies [to] me.
12 Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that had no helper.
For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who has no helper.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.
The blessing of the perishing comes on me, And I cause the heart of the widow to sing.
14 I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment, as with a robe and a diadem.
I have put on righteousness, and it clothes me, My justice as a robe and a crown.
15 I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame.
I have been eyes to the blind, And I [am] 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 [am] a father to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
17 I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.
And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
18 And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.
And I say, I expire with my nest, And I multiply days as the sand.
19 My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.
My root is open to the waters, And dew lodges on my branch.
20 My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.
My glory [is] fresh with 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.
They have listened to me, Indeed, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
22 To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.
After my word they do not change, And my speech drops on them,
23 They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for a latter shower.
And they wait for me as [for] rain, And they have opened wide their mouth [As] for the spring rain.
24 If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.
I laugh at them—they give no credence, And do not cause the light of my face to fall.
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 choose their way, and sit [as] head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When he comforts mourners.”
