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

And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: --

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

Who doth make me as months past, As the days of God's preserving me?

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

In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk darkness.

4 A s I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;

As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent.

5 W hen the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;

When yet the Mighty One with me. Round about me -- my young ones,

6 W hen my steps were bathed in butter, And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock with me rivulets of oil.

7 “ When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square,

When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.

8 T he young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood.

Seen me have youths, and they, been hidden, And the aged have risen -- they stood up.

9 “ The princes stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths;

Princes have kept in words, And a hand they place on their mouth.

10 T he voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to their palate.

The voice of leaders hath been hidden, And their tongue to the palate hath cleaved.

11 “ For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,

For the ear heard, and declareth me happy, And the eye hath seen, and testifieth me.

12 B ecause I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper.

For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who hath no helper.

13 “ The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.

The blessing of the perishing cometh on me, And the heart of the widow I cause to sing.

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

Righteousness I have put on, and it clotheth me, As a robe and a diadem my justice.

15 “ I was eyes to the blind And feet to the lame.

Eyes I have been to the blind, And feet to the lame I.

16 “ I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know.

A father I to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.

17 “ I broke the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth.

And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.

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

And I say, `With my nest I expire, And as the sand I multiply days.'

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

My root is open unto the waters, And dew doth lodge on my branch.

20 ‘ My glory is ever new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’

My honour fresh with me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.

21 “ To me they listened and waited, And kept silent for my counsel.

To me they have hearkened, Yea, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.

22 “ After my words they did not speak again, And my speech dropped on them.

After my word they change not, And on them doth my speech drop,

23 “ They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouth as for the spring rain.

And they wait as rain for me, And their mouth they have opened wide for the latter rain.

24 “ I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down.

I laugh unto them -- they give no credence, And the light of my face cause not to fall.

25 “ I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners.

I choose their way, and sit head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When mourners he doth comfort.