Job 29

¹And Job again took up his parable, and said, ²Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me; ³When his lamp shined upon my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;

¹Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

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

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

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

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 rose up and stood;

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

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

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

⁷When I went out to the gate through 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.

⁹The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth; ¹⁰The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

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

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

¹⁰The nobles held their peace, 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:

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

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 robe and a diadem.

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

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

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

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

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 judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

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

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

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

¹⁸Then I said, I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand: ¹⁹My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lieth all night upon my branch: ²⁰My glory is fresh in me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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