Job 29
1 And Job again took up his measure, and said,
Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:
2 Oh that it were with me as in the months of old, as in the days, when, GOD, used to watch over me;
Who will grant to me that I might be as I was in former months, according to the days when God kept watch over me?
3 When his lamp shone over my head, by whose light, I could go through darkness;
At that time, his lamp shined over my head, and by his light, I walked through the darkness.
4 As I was, in the days of my prime, when, the intimacy of GOD, was over my tent;
I was then just as in the days of my youth, when God was privately in my tabernacle.
5 While yet the Almighty was with me, round about me, were my young men;
At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.
6 When my steps were bathed in milk, and, the rock, poured out beside me, rivulets of oil:
Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.
7 When I went out to the gate unto the city, in the open place, made ready my seat,
When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.
8 Young men saw me, and hid themselves, and, the aged, arose—they stood;
The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.
9 Rulers, restrained speech, and, a hand, laid they on their mouth;
The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.
10 The voice of nobles, was hushed, and their tongue to their palate, did cleave;
The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.
11 When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness;
The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.
12 Because I used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him that had no helper;
This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish, upon me was wont to descend, and, the heart of the widow, caused I to sing for joy;
The blessing of him who would have been destroyed came upon me, and I consoled the heart of the widow.
14 Righteousness, I put on, and it clothed me, Like a robe and turban, was my, justice;
I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.
15 Eyes, became I to the, blind, and, feet to the lame, was, I!
I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.
16 A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;
I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.
17 And I shivered the fangs of the perverse, —and, out of his teeth, I tare the prey.
I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.
18 Then said I, Like a stem, shall I grow old, yea, as the sand, shall I multiply days:
And I said, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.
19 My root, is laid open to the waters, and, the dew, shall lodge for the night in my boughs;
My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.
20 Mine honour, shall be young again with me, and, my bow, in my hand, be renewed.
My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”
21 To me, men hearkened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel;
Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.
22 After I had spoken, they spake not again, and, upon them, used my speech to drop;
To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.
23 And they waited, as for rain, for me, and, their mouths, they opened wide for the spring-rain;
They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.
24 I laughed at them—they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;
If I had ever laughed at them, they would not have believed it, and the light of my face was not cast down towards the ground.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, —and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.
If I wished to go to them, I sat down first, and, though I sat like a king surrounded by an army, yet I was a comforter to those who mourned.
