1 A nd Job again took up his discussion and said,

Job further continued his discourse, and said:

2 O h, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,

“Oh, that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over me;

3 W hen His lamp shone above and upon my head and by His light I walked through darkness;

When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness;

4 A s I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship and counsel of God were over my tent,

Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;

5 W hen the Almighty was yet with me and my children were about me,

When the Almighty was yet with me, When my children were around me;

6 W hen my steps were washed with butter and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

When my steps were bathed with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!

7 W hen I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the street,

“When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square,

8 T he young men saw me and hid themselves; the aged rose up and stood;

The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood;

9 T he princes refrained from talking and laid their hands on their mouths;

The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth;

10 T he voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues cleaved to the roof of their mouths.

The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

11 F or when the ear heard, it called me happy and blessed me; and when the eye saw, it testified for me,

When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me;

12 B ecause I delivered the poor who cried, the fatherless and him who had none to help him.

Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.

13 T he blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me or clothed itself with me; my justice was like a robe and a turban or a diadem or a crown!

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban.

15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame.

16 I was a father to the poor and needy; the cause of him I did not know I searched out.

I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know.

17 A nd I broke the jaws or the big teeth of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.

18 T hen I said, I shall die in or beside my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

“Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand.

19 M y root is spread out and open to the waters, and the dew lies all night upon my branch.

My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch.

20 M y glory and honor are fresh in me, and my bow gains new strength in my hand.

My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’

21 M en listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel.

“ Men listened to me and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.

22 A fter I spoke, they did not speak again, and my speech dropped upon them.

After my words they did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew.

23 A nd they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths wide as for the spring rain.

They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.

24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and their depression did not cast down the light of my countenance.

If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.

25 I chose their way and sat as chief, and dwelt like a king among his soldiers, like one who comforts mourners.

I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts mourners.