📖 Job 29
-
1
Job 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;
-
3
when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
-
4
as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
-
5
when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
-
6
when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
-
7
when I went forth to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
-
8
The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
-
9
The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
-
10
The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
-
11
For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:
-
12
Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,
-
13
the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
-
14
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
-
15
I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
-
16
I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn't know, I searched out.
-
17
I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
-
18
Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.
-
19
My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
-
20
My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'
-
21
"Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
-
22
After my words they didn't speak again. My speech fell on them.
-
23
They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
-
24
I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn't reject the light of my face.
-
25
I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.