Job 29

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

Job again took up his parable, and said,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers 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 gate of the city, and in the street they prepared me a chair?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

25 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.

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