Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
And Job continued his discourse:
2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
4 as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
5 when Shaddai was yet with me, and my children were around me,
when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 when I went forth to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:
For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,
because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I did not know, I searched out.
I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.
So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'
My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 "Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
22 After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.
After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.
If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.
