Job 29

1 And Job continued his discourse:

1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,

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

3 when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,

3 When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;

4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,

4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;

5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,

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

6 when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

7 When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,

7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

8 the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.

8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

9 The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.

9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

10 The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.

10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

11 For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,

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

12 because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.

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

13 The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.

13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

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

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

15 I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.

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

16 I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.

16 I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

17 I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.

17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

18 So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.

18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

19 My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.

19 My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

20 My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’

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

21 Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.

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

22 After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.

22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

23 They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.

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

24 If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.

24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

25 I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.

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