Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
And Job again took up the word and said,
2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.
4 as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;
5 when Shaddai was yet with me, and my children were around me,
While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.
7 when I went forth to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined 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 when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me;
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,
For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.
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 who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
I put on righteousness as my clothing, and was full of it; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.
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, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.
18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.
Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'
My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.
21 "Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.
22 After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.
After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.
I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.
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 took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...
