Job 29
1 And Job continued and said in his parable,
And Job continued to take up his parable, and said,
2 Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!
Who will give me back months like those which are past, days like those when God guarded me;
3 As when his lamp shone over my head; when 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] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.
As I was in the days of my abundance, when the confidence of God was upon my tent:
5 When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;
When the Almighty was yet with me, when my servants stood round about me;
6 when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.
When I bathed my steps in cream, and the rock poured out near me streamlets of oil!
7 When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.
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 all the old men stood up.
Young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged rose up, and remained standing;
9 And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
Princes stopped in the midst of [their] words, and laid their hand on their mouth:
10 And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.
The voice of nobles was arrested, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
11 For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.
For the ear that heard me called me happy; and the eye that saw me bore witness for me;
12 For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, yea, that had none to help him.
13 Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yes, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.
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 Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgment like a mantle.
I took righteousness as my garment, and it clothed me: as a robe and a mitre was justice unto me.
15 I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.
Eyes was I to the blind; and feet to the lame was I.
16 I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.
A father was I to the needy; and the cause of him I knew not I used to investigate.
17 And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.
And I broke the cutting-teeth of the wrong-doer, and out of his teeth I cast down his prey.
18 And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm tree; I shall live a long while.
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 was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.
My root will stand open for the water, and the dew will lodge on my boughs.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.
My glory will ever be new with me, and my bow will acquire fresh strength in my hand.”
21 [Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.
Unto me men listened, and waited, and watched in silence for my counsel
22 At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.
After my words they made no reply, and my speech dropped on them [like dew].
23 As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.
And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened wide their mouth as for the latter rain.
24 Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.
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 chief, and lived as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.
I chose their way for them, and I sat as chief, and dwelt as king in his army, as one that comforteth mourners.
