Job 29
1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
2 O that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
“Who makes me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God’s preserving me?
3 When his lamp shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tent;
As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God on my tent.
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Around me—my young ones,
6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me—streams of oil.
7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
Youths have seen me, and they have been hidden, And the aged have risen—they stood up.
9 The princes stopped talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
Princes have kept in words, And they place a hand on their mouth.
10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
The voice of leaders has been hidden, And their tongue has cleaved to the palate.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
For the ear heard, and declares me blessed, And the eye has seen, and testifies [to] me.
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who has no helper.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
The blessing of the perishing comes on me, And I cause the heart of the widow to sing.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
I have put on righteousness, and it clothes me, My justice as a robe and a crown.
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
I have been eyes to the blind, And I [am] feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
I [am] a father to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
17 And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
And I say, I expire with my nest, And I multiply days as the sand.
19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
My root is open to the waters, And dew lodges on my branch.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
My glory [is] fresh with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
21 To me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
They have listened to me, Indeed, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
22 After my words they spoke not again; and my speech fell upon them.
After my word they do not change, And my speech drops on them,
23 And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
And they wait for me as [for] rain, And they have opened wide their mouth [As] for the spring rain.
24 If I mocked at them, they had no confidence; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
I laugh at them—they give no credence, And do not cause the light of my face to fall.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
I choose their way, and sit [as] head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When he comforts mourners.”
