1 A nd Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: --

Job further continued his discourse, and said:

2 W ho doth make me as months past, As the days of God's preserving me?

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

3 I n His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk darkness.

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

4 A s I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent.

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

5 W hen yet the Mighty One with me. Round about me -- my young ones,

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

6 W hen washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock with me rivulets of oil.

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

7 W hen I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.

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

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

The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood;

9 P rinces have kept in words, And a hand they place on their mouth.

The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth;

10 T he voice of leaders hath been hidden, And their tongue to the palate hath cleaved.

The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

11 F or the ear heard, and declareth me happy, And the eye hath seen, and testifieth me.

When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me;

12 F or I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who hath no helper.

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

13 T he blessing of the perishing cometh on me, And the heart of the widow I cause to sing.

The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

14 R ighteousness I have put on, and it clotheth me, As a robe and a diadem my justice.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban.

15 E yes I have been to the blind, And feet to the lame I.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 M y root is open unto the waters, And dew doth lodge on my branch.

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

20 M y honour fresh with me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.

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

21 T o me they have hearkened, Yea, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.

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

22 A fter my word they change not, And on them doth my speech drop,

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

23 A nd they wait as rain for me, And their mouth they have opened wide for the latter rain.

They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.

24 I laugh unto them -- they give no credence, And the light of my face cause not to fall.

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

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

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