1 T hen Job spoke again and said,

And Job again took up his discussion and said,

2 “ If only I could be now as I was in the months past 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 H is lamp shined over my head then and by His light I walked through darkness.

When His lamp shone above and upon my head and by His light I walked through darkness;

4 T hose days were my best days when God was my friend watching over my tent.

As I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship and counsel of God were over my tent,

5 T he All-powerful was still with me, and my children were around me.

When the Almighty was yet with me and my children were about me,

6 M y path was washed with milk, and the rock poured out rivers of oil for me.

When my steps were washed with butter and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

7 W hen I went to the city gate and took my place with the leaders of the city,

When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the street,

8 t he young men saw me and let me go by. The old men rose and stood.

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

9 T he leaders stopped talking, and put their hands on their mouths.

The princes refrained from talking and laid their hands on their mouths;

10 T he voices of the rulers were quiet. Their tongues held to the roof of their mouths.

The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues cleaved to the roof of their mouths.

11 T hose who heard me, honored me. Those who saw me, respected me,

For when the ear heard, it called me happy and blessed me; and when the eye saw, it testified for me,

12 b ecause I helped the poor man when he cried for help and the child without parents who had no one to help him.

Because I delivered the poor who cried, the fatherless and him who had none to help him.

13 G ood came to me from the man who was dying. And I made the heart of the woman whose husband had died sing for joy.

The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

14 I put on what was right and good, and it clothed me. The right things done were my coat and head-covering.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me or clothed itself with me; my justice was like a robe and a turban or a diadem or a crown!

15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the man who could not walk.

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

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

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

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

And I broke the jaws or the big teeth of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

18 T hen I thought, ‘I will die in my nest. My days will be as many as the sand.

Then I said, I shall die in or beside my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

19 M y roots go to the water. As the water is on the grass in the early morning, it will be all night on my branches.

My root is spread out and open to the waters, and the dew lies all night upon my branch.

20 M y honor is always new to me, and my bow is new in my hand.’

My glory and honor are fresh in me, and my bow gains new strength in my hand.

21 “ Men listened to me and waited. They were quiet so they could hear my words of wisdom.

Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel.

22 A fter I spoke, they did not speak again. My words stayed with them.

After I spoke, they did not speak again, and my speech dropped upon them.

23 T hey waited for me as for rain. And they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.

And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths wide as for the spring rain.

24 I looked at them with joy when they were not sure of themselves, and the light of my face gave them comfort.

I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and their depression did not cast down the light of my countenance.

25 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.

I chose their way and sat as chief, and dwelt like a king among his soldiers, like one who comforts mourners.