Job 29
1 And Job again took up his parable, and said:
And Job continued to take up his parable, and said,
2 Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
Who will give me back months like those which are past, days like those when God guarded me;
3 When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through 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 the converse of God was upon my tent;
As I was in the days of my abundance, when the confidence of God was upon my tent:
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me;
When the Almighty was yet with me, when my servants stood round about me;
6 When my steps were washed 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 forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the broad place,
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 aged rose up and stood;
Young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged rose up, and remained standing;
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;
Princes stopped in the midst of [their] words, and laid their hand on their mouth:
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
The voice of nobles was arrested, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me;
For the ear that heard me called me happy; and the eye that saw me bore witness for me;
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.
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 caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
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 put on righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; my justice was as 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 eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
Eyes was I to the blind; and feet to the lame was I.
16 I was a father to the needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
A father was I to the needy; and the cause of him I knew not I used to investigate.
17 And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
And I broke the cutting-teeth of the wrong-doer, and out of his teeth I cast down his prey.
18 Then I said: 'I shall die with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix;
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 shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew shall lie all night upon my branch;
My root will stand open for the water, and the dew will lodge on my boughs.
20 My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow shall be renewed in my hand.'
My glory will ever be new with me, and my bow will acquire fresh strength in my hand.”
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
Unto me men listened, and waited, and watched in silence for my counsel
22 After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
After my words they made no reply, and my speech dropped on them [like dew].
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened wide their mouth as for the latter rain.
24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
I smiled on those that had lost their confidence; and the light of my countenance they never cast down.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
I chose their way for them, and I sat as chief, and dwelt as king in his army, as one that comforteth mourners.
