Job 29
1 And Job continued to take up his parable, and said,
And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: —
2 Who will give me back months like those which are past, days like those when God guarded me;
Who doth make me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God's preserving me?
3 When his lamp shone over my head, when by his light I could walk in darkness;
In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
4 As I was in the days of my abundance, when the confidence of God was upon my tent:
As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent.
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my servants stood round about me;
When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Round about me — my young ones,
6 When I bathed my steps in cream, and the rock poured out near me streamlets of oil!
When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me rivulets of oil.
7 When I went out to the gate close by the city, when in the open place I established my seat:
When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
8 Young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged rose up, and remained standing;
Seen me have youths, and they, been hidden, And the aged have risen — they stood up.
9 Princes stopped in the midst of [their] words, and laid their hand on their mouth:
Princes have kept in words, And a hand they place on their mouth.
10 The voice of nobles was arrested, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
The voice of leaders hath been hidden, And their tongue to the palate hath cleaved.
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 declareth me happy, And the eye hath seen, and testifieth [to] me.
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, yea, that had none to help him.
For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who hath 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 the perishing cometh on me, And the heart of the widow I cause to sing.
14 I took righteousness as my garment, and it clothed me: as a robe and a mitre was justice unto me.
Righteousness I have put on, and it clotheth me, As a robe and a diadem my justice.
15 Eyes was I to the blind; and feet to the lame was I.
Eyes I have been to the blind, And feet to the lame [am] I.
16 A father was I to the needy; and the cause of him I knew not I used to investigate.
A father I [am] to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
17 And I broke the cutting-teeth of the wrong-doer, and out of his teeth I cast down his prey.
And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
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 say, 'With my nest I expire, And as the sand I multiply days.'
19 My root will stand open for the water, and the dew will lodge on my boughs.
My root is open unto the waters, And dew doth lodge on my branch.
20 My glory will ever be new with me, and my bow will acquire fresh strength in my hand.”
My honour [is] fresh with me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.
21 Unto me men listened, and waited, and watched in silence for my counsel
To me they have hearkened, Yea, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
22 After my words they made no reply, and my speech dropped on them [like dew].
After my word they change not, And on them doth my speech drop,
23 And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened wide their mouth as for the latter rain.
And they wait as [for] rain for me, And their mouth they have opened wide [As] for the latter rain.
24 I smiled on those that had lost their confidence; and the light of my countenance they never cast down.
I laugh unto them — they give no credence, And the light of my face cause not to fall.
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 choose their way, and sit head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When mourners he doth comfort.
