Job 29
1 And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: —
So Iob proceeded and continued his parable, saying,
2 Who doth make me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God's preserving me?
Oh that I were as in times past, when God preserued me!
3 In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
When his light shined vpon mine head: and when by his light I walked thorowe the darkenesse,
4 As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent.
As I was in the dayes of my youth: when Gods prouidence was vpon my tabernacle:
5 When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Round about me — my young ones,
When the almightie was yet with me, and my children round about me.
6 When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me rivulets of oil.
When I washed my pathes with butter, and when the rocke powred me out riuers of oyle:
7 When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
When I went out to the gate, euen to the iudgement seat, and when I caused them to prepare my seate in the streete.
8 Seen me have youths, and they, been hidden, And the aged have risen — they stood up.
The yong men saw me, and hid themselues, and the aged arose, and stood vp.
9 Princes have kept in words, And a hand they place on their mouth.
The princes stayed talke, and layde their hand on their mouth.
10 The voice of leaders hath been hidden, And their tongue to the palate hath cleaved.
The voyce of princes was hidde, and their tongue cleaued to the roofe of their mouth.
11 For the ear heard, and declareth me happy, And the eye hath seen, and testifieth [to] me.
And when the eare heard me, it blessed me: and when the eye sawe me, it gaue witnesse to me.
12 For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who hath no helper.
For I deliuered the poore that cryed, and the fatherlesse, and him that had none to helpe him.
13 The blessing of the perishing cometh on me, And the heart of the widow I cause to sing.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish, came vpon me, and I caused the widowes heart to reioyce.
14 Righteousness I have put on, and it clotheth me, As a robe and a diadem my justice.
I put on iustice, and it couered me: my iudgement was as a robe, and a crowne.
15 Eyes I have been to the blind, And feet to the lame [am] I.
I was the eyes to the blinde, and I was the feete to the lame.
16 A father I [am] to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
I was a father vnto the poore, and when I knewe not the cause, I sought it out diligently.
17 And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
I brake also the chawes of the vnrighteous man, and pluckt the praye out of his teeth.
18 And I say, 'With my nest I expire, And as the sand I multiply days.'
Then I sayde, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiplie my dayes as the sand.
19 My root is open unto the waters, And dew doth lodge on my branch.
For my roote is spread out by the water, and the dewe shall lye vpon my branche.
20 My honour [is] fresh with me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.
My glory shall renue towarde me, and my bowe shall be restored in mine hand.
21 To me they have hearkened, Yea, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
Vnto me men gaue eare, and wayted, and helde their tongue at my counsell.
22 After my word they change not, And on them doth my speech drop,
After my wordes they replied not, and my talke dropped vpon them.
23 And they wait as [for] rain for me, And their mouth they have opened wide [As] for the latter rain.
And they wayted for me, as for the raine, and they opened their mouth as for the latter rayne.
24 I laugh unto them — they give no credence, And the light of my face cause not to fall.
If I laughed on them, they beleeued it not: neither did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.
25 I choose their way, and sit head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When mourners he doth comfort.
I appoynted out their way, and did sit as chiefe, and dwelt as a King in the army, and like him that comforteth the mourners.
