Job 29

1 Job spoke again,

Job again took up his parable, and said,

2 “I wish/desire that I could be like I was previously, during the years when God took care of me.

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

3 During those years, [it was as though] God’s lamp [MET] shone on me and gave me light while I walked in the darkness.

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

4 At that time I was young and strong, and because God was my friend, [he protected] [PRS] my tent.

as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,

5 Almighty [God] was with me during those years when all my children were around me.

when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,

6 [My herds] provided me with plenty of milk, and streams of oil flowed from the rock where my olives were pressed.

when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,

7 “Whenever I went to [the place where the elders gathered at] the city gate, I sat down with them,

when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.

8 and when the young men saw me, they stepped aside [respectfully], and the old men [also] stood [respectfully].

The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.

9 The leaders of the people stopped talking [DOU],

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

10 and even the most important men became quiet and ceased talking [MTY] [in order to hear me speak to them].

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

11 When they [SYN] all heard [what I told them], they said good things about me. When they [SYN] saw me (OR, what I had done), they commended me,

For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,

12 because I had helped the poor people when they cried out for help and I aided/helped orphans who had no one else to help them.

because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,

13 Those who were suffering and about to die praised [PRS] me, and I caused widows [SYN] to sing joyfully, [because of my helping them].

the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

14 I always acted justly; my continually doing that was like [MET] a robe that I wore and a turban [that was wrapped around my head].

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

15 [It was as though] [MET] I was eyes for blind people and feet for people who were lame.

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

16 I was [like] [MET] a father to poor people, and in courts I defended those who were strangers.

I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I did not know.

17 My causing wicked people [to be unable to continue oppressing others was like] [MET] breaking the fangs [of fierce wild animals] and forcing them to drop from their teeth/mouths the animals that they had caught/seized.

I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

18 “At that time I thought, ‘Surely I will live securely, until I am very old [SIM], and I will die at home [with my family].’

Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.

19 I was [like a tree] [MET] whose roots reach down into the water and whose branches become wet with dew each night.

My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.

20 People always honored me, and I was always [strong like] [MET] a new bow.

My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’

21 “When I spoke, people waited to hear [what I would say] and remained silent until I advised them [what they should do].

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

22 After I finished speaking, they did not say any more; [it was as though] [MET] my words fell on their ears [like refreshing drops of rain].

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

23 They waited for me [to speak] like they wait for rain; they [appreciated what I said] like [MET] [farmers appreciate] the final rain in the spring [before the dry season].

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

24 When they were discouraged, I smiled at them [to encourage them]; they became encouraged when they saw that I approved of them.

I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.

25 I was their leader, and I decided what things [would be good for them to do]; I was among them like [SIM] a king who is among his troops; I was like someone who comforts [others] who are mourning.”

I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.