Job 29

1 And Job again took up his measure, and said,

And Job continued his parable and said,

2 Oh that it were with me as in the months of old, as in the days, when, GOD, used to watch over me;

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

3 When his lamp shone over my head, by whose light, I could go through darkness;

When his lamp shone over my head, [and] by his light I walked through darkness;

4 As I was, in the days of my prime, when, the intimacy of GOD, was over my tent;

As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret counsel of God was over my tent,

5 While yet the Almighty was with me, round about me, were my young men;

When the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me;

6 When my steps were bathed in milk, and, the rock, poured out beside me, rivulets of oil:

When my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! ...

7 When I went out to the gate unto the city, in the open place, made ready my seat,

When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,

8 Young men saw me, and hid themselves, and, the aged, arose—they stood;

The young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged arose [and] stood up;

9 Rulers, restrained speech, and, a hand, laid they on their mouth;

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

10 The voice of nobles, was hushed, and their tongue to their palate, did cleave;

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

11 When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness;

When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me, and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me;

12 Because I used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him that had no helper;

For I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper.

13 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;

The blessing of him that was perishing came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14 Righteousness, I put on, and it clothed me, Like a robe and turban, was my, justice;

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

15 Eyes, became I to the, blind, and, feet to the lame, was, I!

I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame;

16 A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;

I was a father to the needy, and the cause which I knew not I searched out;

17 And I shivered the fangs of the perverse, —and, out of his teeth, I tare the prey.

And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

18 Then said I, Like a stem, shall I grow old, yea, as the sand, shall I multiply days:

And I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;

19 My root, is laid open to the waters, and, the dew, shall lodge for the night in my boughs;

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

20 Mine honour, shall be young again with me, and, my bow, in my hand, be renewed.

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

21 To me, men hearkened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel;

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

22 After I had spoken, they spake not again, and, upon them, used my speech to drop;

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

23 And they waited, as for rain, for me, and, their mouths, they opened wide for 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 laughed at them—they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;

[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 chief, —and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.

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