Job 29

1And Job continued his parable and said,

1And Job again took up his parable, and said,

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

2Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;

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

3When his lamp shined upon my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;

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

4As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was upon my tent;

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

5When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were about me;

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

6When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured me out streams of oil!

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

7When I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the street,

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

8The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged rose up and stood;

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

9The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;

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

10The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

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

11For when the ear heardme, then it blessed me; And when the eye sawme, it gave witness unto me:

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

12Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him.

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 that was ready to perish came upon me; And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

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

14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

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

15I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame.

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

16I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

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

17And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.

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

18Then I said, I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand:

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

19My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lieth all night upon my branch:

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

20My glory is fresh in me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.

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

21Unto me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.

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

22After my words they spake not again; And my speech distilled upon them.

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

23And they waited for me as for the rain; And they opened their mouth wideasfor the latter rain.

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

24I smiled on them, when they had no confidence; And the light of my countenance they cast not down.

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

25I chose out their way, and sataschief, And dwelt as a king in the army, As one that comforteth the mourners.