Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
O that I were as in months past, In the days when God was my guardian;
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
When his lamp shined over my head, And when by his light I walked through darkness!
4 as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
As I was in the autumn of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;
5 when Shaddai was yet with me, and my children were around me,
When the Almighty was yet 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 I bathed my steps in milk, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
7 when I went forth to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
When I went forth to the gate by the city, And took my seat in the market-place,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged arose and stood.
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
The princes refrained from speaking, And laid their hand upon their mouth.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
The nobles held their peace, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:
When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,
For I delivered the poor, when they cried; And the fatherless, who had none to help him.
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 blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, And I caused the heart of the widow to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; And justice was my robe and diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I 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 poor, And the cause of him I knew not I searched out;
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
And I broke the teeth of the wicked, And plucked the spoil from his jaws.
18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.
Then said I, “I shall die in my nest; I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
My root is spread abroad to the waters, And the dew abideth on my branches.
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'
My glory is fresh with me, And my bow gathereth strength in my hand.”
21 "Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
To me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
22 After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.
To my words they made no reply, When my speech dropped down upon them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
Yea, they waited for me as for the rain; They opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.
If I smiled upon them, they believed it not; Nor did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
When I came among them, I sat as chief; I dwelt as a king in the midst of an army, As a comforter among mourners.
