1 J ob further continued his discourse, and said:

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

2 “ Oh, that I were as in months past, 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 upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness;

In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk 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 have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent.

5 W hen the Almighty was yet with me, When 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 with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!

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

7 “ When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open 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, And the aged arose and stood;

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

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

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

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

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

11 W hen the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved 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 out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.

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

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 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 I was feet to the lame.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

23 T hey waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide 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 f I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance 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 the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts mourners.

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