1 J ob further continued his discourse, and said:

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

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

4 J ust 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, When my children were around me;

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

7 “ 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, And the aged arose and stood;

9 T he princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth;

10 T he 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, then it approved me;

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

13 T he 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 like a robe and a turban.

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

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

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

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

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

20 M y glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’

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

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

23 T hey waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.

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

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