Job, 29

1. Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

1. Job continued his discourse:

2. Oh that I were as [in] months past, as [in] the days [when] God preserved me;

2. Oh, that I were in months gone by, in the days when God watched over me,

3. When his candle shined upon my head, [and when] by his light I walked [through] darkness;

3. when his light shone upon my head and I walked with it through darkness.

4. As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God [was] upon my tabernacle;

4. Oh, that I were in my prime, when God's friendship blessed my home,

5. When the Almighty [was] yet with me, [when] my children [were] about me;

5. when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,

6. When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

6. when milk bathed my footsteps and olive oil flowed from the rock.

7. When I went out to the gate through the city, [when] I prepared my seat in the street!

7. When I went to the city gate and took up my seat in the square

8. The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, [and] stood up.

8. the young men stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet;

9. The princes refrained talking, and laid [their] hand on their mouth.

9. the chief men dared not speak but laid their hands on their mouths;

10. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

10. the princes were silenced, their tongues stuck to the palate.

11. When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me; and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me:

11. Whoever heard me, spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me,

12. Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and [him that had] none to help him.

12. for I rescued the poor who cried for help, the fatherless and the unassisted.

13. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

13. I was blessed by the dying man; I turned to peace the widow's pining.

14. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment [was] as a robe and a diadem.

14. I was wearing my honesty like a garment, my integrity was my robe and turban.

15. I was eyes to the blind, and feet [was] I to the lame.

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

16. I [was] a father to the poor: and the cause [which] I knew not I searched out.

16. father to the needy, the stranger's advocate.

17. And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

17. I broke the jaws of the wicked, and from his teeth forced out the prey.

18. Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply [my] days as the sand.

18. I said to myself: "I will die old, my days as many as the grains of sand.

19. My root [was] spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

19. My roots will reach to the water; at night my branches will be wet with dew.

20. My glory [was] fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

20. My glory will remain fresh, the bow ever strong in my grip."

21. Unto me [men] gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

21. They listened to me and waited in silence for my counsel.

22. After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

22. Once I spoke they said no more, but drop by drop my words kept falling on them.

23. And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide [as] for the latter rain.

23. They waited for me as people wait for showers; they drank in my words as spring rain.

24. [If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

24. If I smiled at them, they did not dare believe it; not a glance of mine was lost.

25. I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one [that] comforteth the mourners.

25. I pointed out the way, as a leader and took a king's place among the troops. Wherever I led them, they went.