Job 29

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

And Job again took up his measure, and said,

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

Oh that it were with me as in the months of old, as in the days, when, GOD, used to watch over me;

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

When his lamp shone over my head, by whose light, I could go through 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 prime, when, the intimacy of GOD, was over my tent;

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

While yet the Almighty was with me, round about me, were my young men;

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

When my steps were bathed in milk, and, the rock, poured out beside me, rivulets 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 unto the city, in the open place, made ready 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, arose—they stood;

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

Rulers, restrained speech, and, a hand, laid they 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 hushed, and their tongue to their palate, did cleave;

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

When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness;

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

Because I used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him that 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 that was ready to perish, upon me was wont to descend, and, the heart of the widow, caused I to sing for joy;

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

Righteousness, I put on, and it clothed me, Like a robe and turban, was my, justice;

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

Eyes, became 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, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;

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

And I shivered the fangs of the perverse, —and, out of his teeth, I tare the prey.

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

Then said I, Like a stem, shall I grow old, yea, as the sand, shall I multiply days:

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

My root, is laid open to the waters, and, the dew, shall lodge for the night in my boughs;

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

Mine honour, shall be young again with me, and, my bow, in my hand, be renewed.

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

To me, men hearkened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel;

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

After I had spoken, they spake not again, and, upon them, used my speech to drop;

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

And they waited, as for rain, for me, and, their mouths, they opened wide for the spring-rain;

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

I laughed at them—they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;

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 out their way, and sat chief, —and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.