1 J ob further continued his discourse, and said:

Job again took up 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 the months of old, 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;

when his lamp shone on my head, 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;

as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was 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, 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!

when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams 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 out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.

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

The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.

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

The princes refrained from talking, and laid 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 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;

For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended 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 who cried, and the fatherless also, 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 him who was ready to perish came on 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. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

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. The cause of him who I didn’t know, I searched out.

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

I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

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 own house, I shall number 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 to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.

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

My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’

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

“Men listened to me, 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.

After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on 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 the rain. Their mouths drank as with 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 smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.

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 chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.