Job 29
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:
2 “Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
“Who makes me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God’s preserving me?
3 when his lamp shone on my head, and 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 my prime, when the friendship of God was in 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, and my children were around me,
When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Around me—my young ones,
6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me—streams of oil.
7 when I went out to the city gate, 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. The aged rose up and stood.
Youths have seen me, and they have been hidden, And the aged have risen—they stood up.
9 The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
Princes have kept in words, And they place a hand on their mouth.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
The voice of leaders has been hidden, And their tongue has cleaved to the palate.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
For the ear heard, and declares me blessed, And the eye has seen, and testifies [to] me.
12 because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who has no helper.
13 the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on 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 justice 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 to the lame.
I have been eyes to the blind, And I [am] feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
I [am] a father to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous 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 will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
And I say, I expire with my nest, And I multiply days as the sand.
19 My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
My root is open to the waters, And dew lodges on my branch.
20 My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
My glory [is] fresh with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
21 “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
They have listened to me, Indeed, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
22 After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
After my word they do not change, And my speech drops on them,
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
And they wait for me as [for] rain, And they have opened wide their mouth [As] for the spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
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 as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
I choose their way, and sit [as] head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When he comforts mourners.”
