Job 29

1 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:

Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:

2 O that I were as in months past, In the days when God was my guardian;

Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?

3 When his lamp shined over my head, And when by his light I walked through darkness!

When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?

4 As I was in the autumn of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;

As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?

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

When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?

6 When I bathed my steps in milk, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

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

7 When I went forth to the gate by the city, And took my seat in the market-place,

When I went out to the gate of the city, and in the street they prepared me a chair?

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

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up and stood.

9 The princes refrained from speaking, And laid their hand upon their mouth.

The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.

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

The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.

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

The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:

12 For I delivered the poor, when they cried; And the fatherless, who had none to help him.

Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that had no helper.

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

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.

14 I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; And justice was my robe and diadem.

I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment, as with a robe and a diadem.

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

I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame.

16 I was a father to the poor, And the cause of him I knew not I searched out;

I was the father of the poor: and the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.

17 And I broke the teeth of the wicked, And plucked the spoil from his jaws.

I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.

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

And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.

19 My root is spread abroad to the waters, And the dew abideth on my branches.

My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.

20 My glory is fresh with me, And my bow gathereth strength in my hand.”

My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.

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

They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.

22 To my words they made no reply, When my speech dropped down upon them.

To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.

23 Yea, they waited for me as for the rain; They opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.

They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for a latter shower.

24 If I smiled upon them, they believed it not; Nor did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.

If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.

25 When I came among them, I sat as chief; I dwelt as a king in the midst of an army, As a comforter among mourners.

If I had a mind to go to them, I sat first, and when I sat as a king, with his army standing about him, yet I was a comforter of them that mourned.