Job 29

1 And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: —

And Job again took up the word and said,

2 Who doth make me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God's preserving me?

If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!

3 In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.

When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.

4 As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent.

As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;

5 When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Round about me — my young ones,

While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;

6 When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me rivulets of oil.

When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.

7 When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.

When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,

8 Seen me have youths, and they, been hidden, And the aged have risen — they stood up.

The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;

9 Princes have kept in words, And a hand they place on their mouth.

The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;

10 The voice of leaders hath been hidden, And their tongue to the palate hath cleaved.

The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.

11 For the ear heard, and declareth me happy, And the eye hath seen, and testifieth [to] me.

For when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me;

12 For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who hath no helper.

For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.

13 The blessing of the perishing cometh on me, And the heart of the widow I cause to sing.

The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.

14 Righteousness I have put on, and it clotheth me, As a robe and a diadem my justice.

I put on righteousness as my clothing, and was full of it; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.

15 Eyes I have been to the blind, And feet to the lame [am] I.

I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.

16 A father I [am] to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.

I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.

17 And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.

By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.

18 And I say, 'With my nest I expire, And as the sand I multiply days.'

Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;

19 My root is open unto the waters, And dew doth lodge on my branch.

My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,

20 My honour [is] fresh with me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.

My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.

21 To me they have hearkened, Yea, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.

Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.

22 After my word they change not, And on them doth my speech drop,

After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;

23 And they wait as [for] rain for me, And their mouth they have opened wide [As] for the latter rain.

They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.

24 I laugh unto them — they give no credence, And the light of my face cause not to fall.

I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.

25 I choose their way, and sit head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When mourners he doth comfort.

I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...