Job 29

1 And Job continued his discourse:

Job again took up his parable, and said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

when Shaddai was yet with me, and my children were around me,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The princes refrained from 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.

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

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

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

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

Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,

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

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

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

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

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

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

I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I did not know, I searched out.

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

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

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

Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.

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

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

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

My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'

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

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

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

After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.

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

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

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

I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.

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

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