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Job 29

1Job again took up his parable, and said,
1And Job continued his discourse:
2“Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
2“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
3when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
3when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
4as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
4when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
5when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
5when the Almighty was still 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,
6when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
7When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
8The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
8the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
9The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
9The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
10The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
10The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
11For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
11For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
12because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
12because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
13the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
13The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
15I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
15I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
16I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
16I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
17I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
17I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
18Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
18So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
19My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
19My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
20My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
20My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
21“Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
21Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
22After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
22After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
23They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
23They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
24I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
24If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
25I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
25I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.