Job 29

1verseJob again took up his parable, and said,

2verse“Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

3versewhen his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

4verseas I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,

5versewhen the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,

6versewhen my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,

7versewhen I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.

8verseThe young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.

9verseThe princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

10verseThe voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

11verseFor when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,

12versebecause I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,

13versethe blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

14verseI put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

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

16verseI was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.

17verseI broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

18verseThen I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.

19verseMy root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.

20verseMy glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’

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

22verseAfter my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.

23verseThey waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.

24verseI smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.

25verseI chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.