Job 29

₂“Oh, that I were as in the months of old,

as in the days when God watched over me,

₃when his lamp shone upon my head,

and by his light I walked through darkness,

₄as I was in my prime,

when the friendship of God was upon my tent,

₅when the Almighty was yet with me,

when my children were all around me,

₆when my steps were washed with butter,

and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

₇When I went out to the gate of the city,

when I prepared my seat in the square,

₈the young men saw me and withdrew,

and the aged rose and stood;

₉the princes refrained from talking

and laid their hand on their mouth;

₁₀the voice of the nobles was hushed,

and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

₁₁When the ear heard, it called me blessed,

and when the eye saw, it approved,

₁₂because I delivered the poor who cried for help,

and the fatherless who had none to help him.

₁₃The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,

and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

₁₄I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;

my justice was like a robe and a turban.

₁₅I was eyes to the blind

and feet to the lame.

₁₆I was a father to the needy,

and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.

₁₇I broke the fangs of the unrighteous

and made him drop his prey from his teeth.

₁₈Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest,

and I shall multiply my days as the sand,

₁₉my roots spread out to the waters,

with the dew all night on my branches,

₂₀my glory fresh with me,

and my bow ever new in my hand.’

₂₁“Men listened to me and waited

and kept silence for my counsel.

₂₂After I spoke they did not speak again,

and my word dropped upon them.

₂₃They waited for me as for the rain,

and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.

₂₄I smiled on them when they had no confidence,

and the light of my face they did not cast down.

₂₅I chose their way and sat as chief,

and I lived like a king among his troops,

like one who comforts mourners.