Job 29

¹Job again took up his parable, and said, ²“Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me; ³when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness, ⁴as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent, ⁵when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me, ⁶when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me, ⁷when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street. ⁸The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood. ⁹The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. ¹⁰The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. ¹¹For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me: ¹²Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him, ¹³the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. ¹⁴I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem. ¹⁵I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. ¹⁶I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn’t know, I searched out. ¹⁷I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth. ¹⁸Then I said, ‘I shall die in my own house, I shall count my days as the sand. ¹⁹My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch. ²⁰My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’ ²¹“Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel. ²²After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them. ²³They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain. ²⁴I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face. ²⁵I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.

¹Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, ²Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; ³When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; ⁴As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; ⁵When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me; ⁶When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil; ⁷When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! ⁸The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up. ⁹The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. ¹⁰The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. ¹¹When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: ¹²Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. ¹³The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. ¹⁴I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. ¹⁵I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. ¹⁶I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. ¹⁷And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth. ¹⁸Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. ¹⁹My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch. ²⁰My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. ²¹Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. ²²After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them. ²³And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. ²⁴If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. ²⁵I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.