Job 29
1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
And Job again took up his measure, and said,
2 O that I were as in months past, In the days when God was my guardian;
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 shined over my head, And when 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 autumn of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;
As I was, in the days of my prime, when, the intimacy of GOD, was over my tent;
5 When the Almighty 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 I bathed my steps in milk, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
When my steps were bathed in milk, and, the rock, poured out beside me, rivulets of oil:
7 When I went forth to the gate by the city, And took my seat in the market-place,
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, And the aged arose and stood.
Young men saw me, and hid themselves, and, the aged, arose—they stood;
9 The princes refrained from speaking, And laid their hand upon their mouth.
Rulers, restrained speech, and, a hand, laid they on their mouth;
10 The nobles held their peace, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
The voice of nobles, was hushed, and their tongue to their palate, did cleave;
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.
When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness;
12 For I delivered the poor, when they cried; And the fatherless, 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 that was ready to perish came upon me, And I caused the heart of the widow 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 clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; And justice was my robe and 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 was I to the lame;
Eyes, became I to the, blind, and, feet to the lame, was, I!
16 I was a father to the poor, And the cause of him I knew not 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 And I broke the teeth of the wicked, And plucked the spoil from his jaws.
And I shivered the fangs of the perverse, —and, out of his teeth, I tare the prey.
18 Then said I, “I shall die in my nest; I shall multiply 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 abroad to the waters, And the dew abideth on my branches.
My root, is laid open to the waters, and, the dew, shall lodge for the night in my boughs;
20 My glory is fresh with me, And my bow gathereth strength in my hand.”
Mine honour, shall be young again with me, and, my bow, in my hand, be renewed.
21 To me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
To me, men hearkened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel;
22 To my words they made no reply, When my speech dropped down upon them.
After I had spoken, they spake not again, and, upon them, used my speech to drop;
23 Yea, they waited for me as for the rain; They opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.
And they waited, as for rain, for me, and, their mouths, they opened wide 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 laughed at them—they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;
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 chose out their way, and sat chief, —and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.
