Job 29

1And Job continued his parable and said,

1And Job again took up the word and said,

2Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days whenGod preserved me;

2If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!

3When his lamp shone over my head, [and] by his light I walked through darkness;

3When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.

4As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret counsel ofGod was over my tent,

4As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;

5When the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me;

5While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;

6When my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! ...

6When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.

7When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,

7When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,

8The young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged arose [and] stood up;

8The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;

9Princes refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth;

9The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;

10The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.

10The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.

11When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me, and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me;

11For when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me;

12For I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper.

12For 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.

13The blessing of him that was perishing came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

13The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.

14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was as a mantle and a turban.

14I put on righteousness as my clothing, and was full of it; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.

15I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame;

15I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.

16I was a father to the needy, and the cause which I knew not I searched out;

16I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.

17And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

17By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.

18And I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;

18Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;

19My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew will lie all night on my branch;

19My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,

20My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow be renewed in my hand.

20My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.

21Unto me they listened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel:

21Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.

22After my words they spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them;

22After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;

23And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

23They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.

24[If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.

24I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.

25I chose their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth mourners.

25I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...