Job 29

1 Job again took up his parable, and said,

And Job continued his parable and said,

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

Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

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

When his lamp shone over my head, [and] 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 days of my youth, when the secret counsel 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, my young men round about me;

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 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 by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,

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 up;

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

Princes refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth;

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

The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.

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 afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who 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 perishing came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

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

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was as a mantle and a turban.

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 needy, and the cause which 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 jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

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 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 shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew will lie all night on my branch;

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

My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow be renewed in my hand.

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

Unto me they listened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel:

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

After my words they spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them;

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

And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth 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 laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.

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 their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth mourners.