1 A nd Job continued his parable and said,

Job further continued his discourse, and said:

2 O h that I were as in months past, as in the days when +God preserved me;

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

3 W hen his lamp shone over my head, 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 days of my youth, when the secret counsel of +God was 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, my young men round about me;

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

6 W hen my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers 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 by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,

“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; and the aged arose stood up;

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

9 P rinces refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth;

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

10 T he voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.

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

11 W hen the ear heard, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw, it gave witness to me;

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

12 F or I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper.

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

13 T he blessing of him that was perishing 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; my justice was as a mantle and a turban.

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 needy, and the cause which I knew not 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 of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

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

18 A nd I said, I shall die in my nest, and 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 shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew will lie all night on my branch;

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

20 M y glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow be renewed in my hand.

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

21 U nto me they listened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel:

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

22 A fter my words they spoke not 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 mouth wide as for the latter rain.

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

24 I laughed on them, they believed not; and they troubled not the serenity 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 as a king in the army, as one that comforteth 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.