Job 29

1 And Job continued his parable and said,

Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:

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

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

3 When his lamp shone over my head, [and] by his light I walked through darkness;

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

4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret counsel of God was over my tent,

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

5 When the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me;

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

6 When my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! ...

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

7 When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,

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

8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged arose [and] stood up;

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

9 Princes refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth;

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

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

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

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

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

12 For I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper.

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

13 The blessing of him that was perishing came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

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

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

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

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

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

16 I was a father to the needy, and the cause which I knew not I searched out;

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

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

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

18 And I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;

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

19 My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew will lie all night on my branch;

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

20 My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow be renewed in my hand.

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

21 Unto me they listened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel:

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

22 After my words they spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them;

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

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

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

24 [If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.

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

25 I chose their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth mourners.

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.