Job 29
1 And Job continued to take up his parable, and said,
Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:
2 Who will give me back months like those which are past, days like those when God guarded 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 shone over my head, when by his light I could walk in 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 abundance, when the confidence 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, when my servants stood round about me;
At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.
6 When I bathed my steps in cream, and the rock poured out near me streamlets of oil!
Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.
7 When I went out to the gate close by the city, when in the open place I established my seat:
When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.
8 Young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged rose up, and remained standing;
The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.
9 Princes stopped in the midst of [their] words, and laid their hand on their mouth:
The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.
10 The voice of nobles was arrested, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.
11 For the ear that heard me called me happy; and the eye that saw me bore witness for 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, and the fatherless, yea, 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 the heart of the widow I caused 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 took righteousness as my garment, and it clothed me: as a robe and a mitre was justice unto me.
I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.
15 Eyes was I to the blind; and feet to the lame was I.
I was an eye for the blind and a foot for 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 poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.
17 And I broke the cutting-teeth of the wrong-doer, and out of his teeth I cast down his prey.
I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his 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, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.
19 My root will stand open for the water, and the dew will lodge on my boughs.
My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.
20 My glory will ever be new with me, and my bow will acquire fresh strength in my hand.”
My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”
21 Unto me men listened, and waited, and watched in silence for my counsel
Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.
22 After my words they made no reply, and my speech dropped on them [like dew].
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 wide their mouth as for the latter rain.
They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.
24 I smiled on those that had lost their confidence; and the light of my countenance they never cast 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 their way for them, and I sat as chief, and dwelt as king in his army, as one that comforteth 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.
