Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: —
2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
Who doth make me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God's preserving me?
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
4 as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent.
5 when Shaddai was yet with me, and my children were around me,
When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Round about me — my young ones,
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me rivulets of oil.
7 when I went forth to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
Seen me have youths, and they, been hidden, And the aged have risen — they stood up.
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
Princes have kept in words, And a hand they place on their mouth.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
The voice of leaders hath been hidden, And their tongue to the palate hath cleaved.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:
For the ear heard, and declareth me happy, And the eye hath seen, and testifieth [to] me.
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who 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 who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
The blessing of the perishing cometh on me, And the heart of the widow I cause to sing.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
Righteousness I have put on, and it clotheth me, As a robe and a diadem my justice.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
Eyes I have been to the blind, And feet to the lame [am] I.
16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I did not know, I searched out.
A father I [am] to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.
And I say, 'With my nest I expire, And as the sand I multiply days.'
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
My root is open unto the waters, And dew doth lodge on my branch.
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'
My honour [is] fresh with me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.
21 "Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
To me they have hearkened, Yea, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
22 After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.
After my word they change not, And on them doth my speech drop,
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring 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 them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.
I laugh unto them — they give no credence, And the light of my face cause not 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.
I choose their way, and sit head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When mourners he doth comfort.
