Job 29

1 And Job again took up his parable, and said:

Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:

2 Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

Who will grant to me that I might be as I was in former months, according to the days when God kept watch over me?

3 When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness;

At that time, his lamp shined over my head, and by his light, I walked through the darkness.

4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse of God was upon my tent;

I was then just as in the days of my youth, when God was privately in my tabernacle.

5 When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me;

At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.

6 When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.

7 When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the broad place,

When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.

8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood;

The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.

9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;

The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.

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

The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.

11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me;

The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.

12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.

This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.

13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

The blessing of him who would have been destroyed came upon me, and I consoled the heart of the widow.

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; my justice was as a robe and a diadem.

I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.

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

I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.

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

I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.

18 Then I said: 'I shall die with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix;

And I said, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.

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

My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.

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

My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”

21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.

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

To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.

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

They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.

24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

If I had ever laughed at them, they would not have believed it, and the light of my face was not cast down towards the ground.

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

If I wished to go to them, I sat down first, and, though I sat like a king surrounded by an army, yet I was a comforter to those who mourned.