Job — Chapter 29

1And Job continued his discourse:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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, 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 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.

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.

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;

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;

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:

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.

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.

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.

1Then Job continued his speech:

2“O that I could be as I was in the months now gone, in the days when God watched over me,

3when he caused his lamp to shine upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;

4just as I was in my most productive time, when God’s intimate friendship was experienced in my tent,

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

6when my steps were bathed with butter and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil!

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

8the young men would see me and step aside, and the old men would get up and remain standing;

9the chief men refrained from talking and covered their mouths with their hands;

10the voices of the nobles fell silent, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

11“As soon as the ear heard these things, it blessed me, and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me;

12for I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the orphan who had no one to assist him;

13the blessing of the dying man descended on me, and I made the widow’s heart rejoice;

14I put on righteousness and it clothed me; my just dealing was like a robe and a turban;

15I was eyes for the blind and feet for the lame;

16I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;

17I broke the fangs of the wicked, and made him drop his prey from his teeth.

18“Then I thought, ‘I will die in my own home, my days as numerous as the grains of sand.

19My roots reach the water, and the dew lies on my branches all night long.

20My glory will always be fresh in me, and my bow ever new in my hand.’

21“People listened to me and waited silently; they kept silent for my advice.

22After I had spoken, they did not respond; my words fell on them drop by drop.

23They waited for me as people wait for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rains.

24If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it; and they did not cause the light of my face to darken.

25I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I lived like a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners.

1Job again took up his parable, and said,

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

3when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

4as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,

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

6when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,

7when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.

8The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.

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

10The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

11For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:

12Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,

13the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on 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 to the lame.

16I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn’t know, I searched out.

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

18Then I said, ‘I shall die in my own house, I shall count my days as the sand.

19My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.

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

21“Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

22After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.

23They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.

24I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.

25I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.