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Job 29
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2Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;
2How I wish I could go back to the months that have passed, back to those days when God looked after me.
3When his lamp shined upon my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;
3In those days, his lamp shone above my head, and by his light I walked through the darkness.
4As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was upon my tent;
4I wish I were in my prime again, when God’s friendship blessed my home.
5When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were about me;
5Back then the Almighty was still with me, and my children were all around me.
6When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured me out streams of oil!
6My path was so wealthy it was like washing my steps in cream, and the rocks poured out streams of olive oil for me.
7When I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the street,
7When I went to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
8The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged rose up and stood;
8the young men saw me and stepped aside, and the old men rose to their feet to show respect.
9The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;
9The leaders stopped talking and put their hands over their mouths.
10The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
10The voices of the nobles were silent, as if their tongues were stuck to the roof of their mouths.
11For when the ear heardme, then it blessed me; And when the eye sawme, it gave witness unto me:
11Anyone who heard me spoke well of me, and everyone who saw me praised me.
12Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him.
12This was because I rescued the poor who cried for help and the orphans who had no one to support them.
13The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
13People who were dying blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
14I lived righteously, and it was like my clothing; my fairness was like a robe and a turban.
15I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame.
15I served as eyes for the blind and as feet for the disabled.
16I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
16I was like a father to the needy, and I looked into the legal cases of people I didn't even know.
17And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.
17I shattered the jaws of wicked liars and rescued their victims from their teeth.
18Then I said, I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand:
18I thought to myself, 'I will die peacefully in my own home, and my days will be as many as the grains of sand.'
19My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lieth all night upon my branch:
19I felt like a tree with roots reaching the water and with dew staying on my branches all night.
20My glory is fresh in me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
20My honor was always new, and my strength was constantly renewed like a bow in my hand.
21Unto me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
21People listened to me and waited expectantly; they kept quiet to hear my advice.
22After my words they spake not again; And my speech distilled upon them.
22After I finished speaking, they had nothing more to say; my words fell gently on them like dew.
23And they waited for me as for the rain; And they opened their mouth wideasfor the latter rain.
23They waited for me as they do for rain, opening their mouths wide as if for the spring showers.