1 A nd Job continued his parable and said,

Then Job spoke again and said,

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

“If only I could be now as I was in the months past when God watched over me!

3 W hen his lamp shone over my head, by his light I walked through darkness;

His lamp shined over my head then and 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,

Those days were my best days when God was my friend watching over my tent.

5 W hen the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me;

The All-powerful was still with me, and my children were around me.

6 W hen my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! …

My path was washed with milk, 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 to the city gate and took my place with the leaders of the city,

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

the young men saw me and let me go by. The old men rose and stood.

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

The leaders stopped talking, and put their hands on their mouths.

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

The voices of the rulers were quiet. Their tongues held to the roof of their mouths.

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

Those who heard me, honored me. Those who saw me, respected me,

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

because I helped the poor man when he cried for help and the child without parents who had no one to help him.

13 T he blessing of him that was perishing came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

Good came to me from the man who was dying. And I made the heart of the woman whose husband had died sing for joy.

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was as a mantle and a turban.

I put on what was right and good, and it clothed me. The right things done were my coat and head-covering.

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

I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the man who could not walk.

16 I was a father to the needy, and the cause which I knew not I searched out;

I was a father to those in need. And I helped those I did not know who had a need.

17 A nd I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

I broke the jaws of the sinful, and took from their teeth what they had taken.

18 A nd I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand;

Then I thought, ‘I will die in my nest. My days will be as many 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 roots go to the water. As the water is on the grass in the early morning, it will be all night on my branches.

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

My honor is always new to me, and my bow is new in my hand.’

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

“Men listened to me and waited. They were quiet so they could hear my words of wisdom.

22 A fter my words they spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them;

After I spoke, they did not speak again. My words stayed with them.

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 rain. And they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.

24 I laughed on them, they believed not; and they troubled not the serenity of my countenance.

I looked at them with joy when they were not sure of themselves, and the light of my face gave them comfort.

25 I chose their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth mourners.

I decided the way for them and sat as their leader. I lived as a king among his army, and like one who gives comfort to those in sorrow.