Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:
2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in 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 days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?
5 when Shaddai was yet with me, and my children were around me,
When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
When I washed my feet with butter, 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 out to the gate of the city, and in the street they prepared me a chair?
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 old men rose up and stood.
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:
The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,
Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that 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 blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment, as with a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
I was an eye to the blind, and a foot 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 the father of the poor: and the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.
18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.
And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'
My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.
21 "Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.
22 After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.
To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.
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 they opened their mouth as for a latter shower.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.
If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
If I had a mind to go to them, I sat first, and when I sat as a king, with his army standing about him, yet I was a comforter of them that mourned.
