Job 29
1 Job resumed speaking and said,
Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
2 “Oh, that I were as I was in the past months when God cared for me,
O that I were as in months past, In the days when God was my guardian;
3 when his lamp shined on my head, and when I walked through darkness by his light.
When his lamp shined over my head, And when by his light I walked through darkness!
4 Oh, that I were as I was in the ripeness of my days when the friendship of God was on my tent,
As I was in the autumn of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
6 when my way was covered with cream, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
When I bathed my steps in milk, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
7 When I went out to the city gate, when I sat in my place in the city square,
When I went forth to the gate by the city, And took my seat in the market-place,
8 the young men saw me and kept their distance from me in respect, and the aged people rose and stood for me.
The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged arose and stood.
9 The princes used to refrain from talking when I came; they would lay their hand on their mouths.
The princes refrained from speaking, And laid their hand upon their mouth.
10 The voices of the noblemen were hushed, and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouths.
The nobles held their peace, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 For after their ears heard me, they would then bless me; after their eyes saw me, they would then give witness to me and approve of me
When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.
12 because I rescued the one who was poor when he cried out, and the one who had no father when he had no one to help him.
For I delivered the poor, when they cried; And the fatherless, who had none to help him.
13 The blessing of him who was about to perish came on me; I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, And I caused the heart of the widow to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban.
I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; And justice was my robe and diadem.
15 I was eyes to blind people; I was feet to lame people.
I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame;
16 I was a father to needy people; I would examine the case even of one whom I did not know.
I was a father to the poor, And the cause of him I knew not I searched out;
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous man; I plucked the victim out from between his teeth.
And I broke the teeth of the wicked, And plucked the spoil from his jaws.
18 Then I said, 'I will die in my nest; I will multiply my days like the grains of sand.
Then said I, “I shall die in my nest; I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 My roots are spread out to the waters, and dew lies all night on my branches.
My root is spread abroad to the waters, And the dew abideth on my branches.
20 The honor in me is always fresh, and the bow of my strength is always new in my hand.'
My glory is fresh with me, And my bow gathereth strength in my hand.”
21 To me men listened; they waited for me; they stayed silent to hear my advice.
To me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
22 After my words were done, they did not speak again; my speech dropped like water on them.
To my words they made no reply, When my speech dropped down upon them.
23 They always waited for me as they waited for rain; they opened their mouth wide to drink in my words, as they would do for the latter rain.
Yea, they waited for me as for the rain; They opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.
24 I smiled on them when they did not expect it; they did not reject the light of my face.
If I smiled upon them, they believed it not; Nor did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.
25 I selected their way and sat as their chief; I lived like a king in his army, like one who comforts mourners.
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.
