Job 29
1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
Moreover, Job continued his parable, and said,
2 O that I were as in months past, In the days when God was my guardian;
Oh that I were as [in] months past, as [in] the days [when] God preserved me;
3 When his lamp shined over my head, And when by his light I walked through darkness!
When his candle shined upon my head, [and when] by his light I walked [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 youth, when the secret of God [was] upon my tabernacle;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
When the Almighty [was] yet with me, [when] my children [were] about me;
6 When I bathed my steps in milk, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers 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 through the city, [when] I prepared my seat in the street!
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged arose and stood.
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, [and] stood up.
9 The princes refrained from speaking, And laid their hand upon their mouth.
The princes refrained talking, and laid [their] hand on their mouth.
10 The nobles held their peace, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
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 [me], then it blessed me; and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me:
12 For I delivered the poor, when they cried; And the fatherless, who had none to help him.
Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and [him that had] none to help him.
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 came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; And justice was my robe and diadem.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment [was] as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame;
I was eyes to the blind, and feet [was] I to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor, And the cause of him I knew not I searched out;
I [was] a father to the poor: and the cause [which] I knew not I searched out.
17 And I broke the teeth of the wicked, And plucked the spoil from his jaws.
And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 Then said I, “I shall die in my nest; I shall multiply my days as the sand.
Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply [my] days as the sand.
19 My root is spread abroad to the waters, And the dew abideth on my branches.
My root [was] spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 My glory is fresh with me, And my bow gathereth strength in my hand.”
My glory [was] fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 To me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
To me [men] gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 To my words they made no reply, When my speech dropped down upon them.
After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 Yea, they waited for me as for the rain; They opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.
And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide [as] for the latter rain.
24 If I smiled upon them, they believed it not; Nor did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.
[If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
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 dwelt as a king in the army, as one [that] comforteth the mourners.
