Job 29

1 And Job again took up the word and said,

Job again took up his parable, and said,

2 If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!

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

3 When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.

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

4 As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;

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

5 While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;

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

6 When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.

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

7 When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,

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

8 The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;

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

9 The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;

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

10 The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined 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 when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me;

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

12 For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.

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

13 The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.

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 as my clothing, and was full of it; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.

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

15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.

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

16 I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.

I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.

17 By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.

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

18 Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;

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

19 My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,

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

20 My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.

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

21 Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.

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

22 After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;

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

23 They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.

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

24 I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.

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

25 I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...

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