1 J ob further continued his discourse, and said:

¶ Moreover, Job continued his parable and said,

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

Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

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

when his lamp shone upon my head, and by its light I walked in the darkness;

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

as I was in the days of my youth, when God was familiar in my tent;

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

when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

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

when I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

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

¶ When I went out to the gate to judgment, when I had my seat prepared in the plaza!

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

The young men would see me and hide themselves, and the aged would arise and stand.

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

The princes would refrain from talking and lay their hand on their mouth;

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

the voice of the principals would not be noticed, and their tongue would cleave 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;

When the ears that heard me, called me blessed; and when the eyes that saw me, gave witness to me:

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

because I delivered the poor that cried and the fatherless who had no one to help him.

13 T he blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

The blessing of the one that was ready to perish 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.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me as a robe; and my diadem was judgment.

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

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

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

I was a father to the needy; and the cause which I did not know I searched out.

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

And I broke the fangs of the wicked and caused their teeth to release the prey.

18 “ Then 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 I shall 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.

My root is spread out by the waters, and the dew shall remain upon my branches.

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

My glory is renewed with me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.

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

They would hear me and wait, and keep silent at my counsel.

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

After my words they would not reply, but my reason dropped upon them.

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

And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

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

If I laughed at them, they did not believe it; and they did not cast down the light of my countenance.

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.

I approved their way and sat at the head and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforts the mourners.