Job 29
1 And Job continued to take up his parable, and said,
And Job continued and said in his parable,
2 Who will give me back months like those which are past, days like those when God guarded me;
Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!
3 When his lamp shone over my head, when by his light I could walk in darkness;
As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.
4 As I was in the days of my abundance, when the confidence of God was upon my tent:
[As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my servants stood round about me;
When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;
6 When I bathed my steps in cream, and the rock poured out near me streamlets of oil!
when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.
7 When I went out to the gate close by the city, when in the open place I established my seat:
When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.
8 Young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged rose up, and remained standing;
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.
9 Princes stopped in the midst of [their] words, and laid their hand on their mouth:
And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
10 The voice of nobles was arrested, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.
11 For the ear that heard me called me happy; and the eye that saw me bore witness for me;
For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, yea, that had none to help him.
For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and the heart of the widow I caused to sing for joy.
Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yes, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.
14 I took righteousness as my garment, and it clothed me: as a robe and a mitre was justice unto me.
Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgement like a mantle.
15 Eyes was I to the blind; and feet to the lame was I.
I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.
16 A father was I to the needy; and the cause of him I knew not I used to investigate.
I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.
17 And I broke the cutting-teeth of the wrong-doer, and out of his teeth I cast down his prey.
And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.
18 And I said then, “In the midst of my nest shall I depart hence, and like the sand shall I have many days.
And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm tree; I shall live a long while.
19 My root will stand open for the water, and the dew will lodge on my boughs.
[My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.
20 My glory will ever be new with me, and my bow will acquire fresh strength in my hand.”
My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.
21 Unto me men listened, and waited, and watched in silence for my counsel
[Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.
22 After my words they made no reply, and my speech dropped on them [like dew].
At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened wide their mouth as for the latter rain.
As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.
24 I smiled on those that had lost their confidence; and the light of my countenance they never cast down.
Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.
25 I chose their way for them, and I sat as chief, and dwelt as king in his army, as one that comforteth mourners.
I chose out their way, and sat chief, and lived as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.
