Job 29

1 Job again took up his parable, and said,

And Job again took up his measure, and said,

2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

Oh that it were with me as in the months of old, as in the days, when, GOD, used to watch over me;

3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

When his lamp shone over my head, by whose light, I could go 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 days of my prime, when, the intimacy of GOD, was over my tent;

5 when Shaddai was yet with me, and my children were around me,

While yet the Almighty was with me, round about me, were my young men;

6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,

When my steps were bathed in milk, and, the rock, poured out beside me, rivulets 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 unto the city, in the open place, made ready my seat,

8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.

Young men saw me, and hid themselves, and, the aged, arose—they stood;

9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

Rulers, restrained speech, and, a hand, laid they on their mouth;

10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

The voice of nobles, was hushed, and their tongue to their palate, did cleave;

11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:

When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness;

12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,

Because I used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him 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, upon me was wont to descend, and, the heart of the widow, caused I to sing for joy;

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

Righteousness, I put on, and it clothed me, Like a robe and turban, was my, justice;

15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.

Eyes, became I to the, blind, and, feet to the lame, was, I!

16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I did not know, I searched out.

A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;

17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

And I shivered the fangs of the perverse, —and, out of his teeth, I tare the prey.

18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.

Then said I, Like a stem, shall I grow old, yea, as the sand, shall I multiply days:

19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.

My root, is laid open to the waters, and, the dew, shall lodge for the night in my boughs;

20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'

Mine honour, shall be young again with me, and, my bow, in my hand, be renewed.

21 "Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

To me, men hearkened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel;

22 After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.

After I had spoken, they spake not again, and, upon them, used my speech to drop;

23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.

And they waited, as for rain, for me, and, their mouths, they opened wide for the spring-rain;

24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.

I laughed at them—they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;

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 out their way, and sat chief, —and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.