Job 29
1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
2 O that I were as in months past, In the days when God was my guardian;
“Who makes me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God’s preserving me?
3 When his lamp shined over my head, And when 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 autumn of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;
As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God on my tent.
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Around me—my young ones,
6 When I bathed my steps in milk, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me—streams of oil.
7 When I went forth to the gate by the city, And took my seat in the market-place,
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, And the aged arose and stood.
Youths have seen me, and they have been hidden, And the aged have risen—they stood up.
9 The princes refrained from speaking, And laid their hand upon their mouth.
Princes have kept in words, And they place a hand on their mouth.
10 The nobles held their peace, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
The voice of leaders has been hidden, And their tongue has cleaved to the palate.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.
For the ear heard, and declares me blessed, And the eye has seen, and testifies [to] me.
12 For I delivered the poor, when they cried; And the fatherless, who had none to help him.
For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who has no helper.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, And I caused the heart of the widow to sing for joy.
The blessing of the perishing comes on me, And I cause the heart of the widow to sing.
14 I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; And justice was my robe and diadem.
I have put on righteousness, and it clothes me, My justice as a robe and a crown.
15 I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame;
I have been eyes to the blind, And I [am] feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor, And the cause of him I knew not I searched out;
I [am] a father to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
17 And I broke the teeth of the wicked, And plucked the spoil from his jaws.
And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
18 Then said I, “I shall die in my nest; I shall multiply my days as the sand.
And I say, I expire with my nest, And I multiply days as the sand.
19 My root is spread abroad to the waters, And the dew abideth on my branches.
My root is open to the waters, And dew lodges on my branch.
20 My glory is fresh with me, And my bow gathereth strength in my hand.”
My glory [is] fresh with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
21 To me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
They have listened to me, Indeed, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
22 To my words they made no reply, When my speech dropped down upon them.
After my word they do not change, And my speech drops on them,
23 Yea, they waited for me as for the rain; They opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.
And they wait for me as [for] rain, And they have opened wide their mouth [As] for the spring rain.
24 If I smiled upon them, they believed it not; Nor did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.
I laugh at them—they give no credence, And do not cause the light of my face to fall.
25 When I came among them, I sat as chief; I dwelt as a king in the midst of an army, As a comforter among mourners.
I choose their way, and sit [as] head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When he comforts mourners.”
