1 J ob further continued his discourse, and said:

Then Job spoke again and said,

2 “ Oh, that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over 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 upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness;

His lamp shined over my head then and 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;

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

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

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

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

My path was washed with milk, 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,

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, And the aged arose and stood;

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

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

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

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

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, then it approved me;

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

12 B ecause I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one 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 a perishing man 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 like a robe 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 I was feet 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 poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know.

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

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

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

18 “ Then 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 is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies 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 is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’

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

21 “ Men listened to me 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 did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew.

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

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

They waited for me as for rain. And they opened their mouths 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.

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