29:1 And Job again took up his discourse and said, |
29:2 "Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; |
29:3 When His lamp shone over my head, {And} by His light I walked through darkness; |
29:4 As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God {was} over my tent; |
29:5 When the Almighty was yet with me, {And} my children were around me; |
29:6 When my steps were bathed in butter, And the rock poured out for me streams of oil! |
29:7 "When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square, |
29:8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose {and} stood. |
29:9 "The princes stopped talking And put {their} hands on their mouths; |
29:10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to their palate. |
29:11 "For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me, |
29:12 Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper. |
29:13 "The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow's heart sing for joy. |
29:14 "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. |
29:15 "I was eyes to the blind And feet to the lame. |
29:16 "I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know. |
29:17 "I broke the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth. |
29:18 "Then I thought, `I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply {my} days as the sand. |
29:19 `My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies all night on my branch. |
29:20 `My glory is {ever} new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.' |
29:21 "To me they listened and waited, And kept silent for my counsel. |
29:22 "After my words they did not speak again, And my speech dropped on them. |
29:23 "They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouth as for the spring rain. |
29:24 "I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down. |
29:25 "I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners. |