Job 29

1 And Job continued to take up his parable, and said,

Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2 Who will give me back months like those which are past, days like those when God guarded me;

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

3 When his lamp shone over my head, when by his light I could walk in darkness;

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

4 As I was in the days of my abundance, when the confidence of God was upon my tent:

As I was in the days of my youth, when the friendship and counsel of God was upon my tabernacle;

5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my servants stood round about me;

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

6 When I bathed my steps in cream, and the rock poured out near me streamlets of oil!

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

7 When I went out to the gate close by the city, when in the open place I established my seat:

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

8 Young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged rose up, and remained standing;

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

9 Princes stopped in the midst of [their] words, and laid their hand on their mouth:

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

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

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

11 For the ear that heard me called me happy; and the eye that saw me bore witness for me;

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

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

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

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

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 took righteousness as my garment, and it clothed me: as a robe and a mitre was justice unto me.

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

15 Eyes was I to the blind; and feet to the lame was I.

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

16 A father was I to the needy; and the cause of him I knew not I used to investigate.

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

17 And I broke the cutting-teeth of the wrong-doer, and out of his teeth I cast down his prey.

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

18 And I said then, “In the midst of my nest shall I depart hence, and like the sand shall I have many days.

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

19 My root will stand open for the water, and the dew will lodge on my boughs.

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

20 My glory will ever be new with me, and my bow will acquire fresh strength in my hand.”

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

21 Unto me men listened, and waited, and watched in silence for my counsel

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

22 After my words they made no reply, and my speech dropped on them [like dew].

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

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

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

24 I smiled on those that had lost their confidence; and the light of my countenance they never cast down.

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

25 I chose their way for them, and I sat as chief, and dwelt as king in his army, as one that comforteth mourners.

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king among his troops, as one that comforteth the mourners.