Job 29

1 And Job again took up his parable, and said,

And Job continued and said in his parable,

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

Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!

3 When his lamp shined upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;

As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.

4 As I was in the ripeness of my days, when the secret of God was upon my tent;

[As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.

5 When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me;

When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;

6 When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.

7 When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the street,

When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.

8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood;

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

9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;

And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.

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

And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.

11 For when the ear heard [me], then it blessed me; and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness unto me:

For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.

12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.

For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.

13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yes, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.

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

Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgment like a mantle.

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

I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy: and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.

17 And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.

18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand:

And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm tree; I shall live a long while.

19 My root is spread out to the waters, and the dew lieth all night upon my branch:

[My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.

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

My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.

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

[Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.

22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.

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

As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.

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

Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.

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

I chose out their way, and sat chief, and lived as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.