Job 29

¹Job took up his theme anew and said;

²Oh, that I were as in the months past! as in the days when God watched over me,

³While he kept his lamp shining above my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;

⁴As I was in my flourishing days, when God sheltered my tent;

⁵When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were round about me;

⁶When my footsteps were bathed in milk, and the rock flowed with streams of oil;

⁷When I went forth to the gate of the city and set up my seat in the square-

⁸Then the young men saw me and withdrew, while the elders rose up and stood;

⁹The chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands;

¹⁰The voice of the princes was silenced, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.

¹¹Whoever heard of me blessed me; those who saw me commended me.

¹²For I rescued the poor who cried out for help, the orphans, and the unassisted;

¹³The blessing of those in extremity came upon me, and the heart of the widow I made joyful.

¹⁴I wore my honesty like a garment; justice was my robe and my turban.

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

¹⁶I was a father to the needy; the rights of the stranger I studied,

¹⁷And I broke the jaws of the wicked man; from his teeth I forced the prey.

¹⁸Then I said: In my own nest I shall grow old; I shall multiply years like the phoenix.

¹⁹My root is spread out to the waters; the dew rests by night on my branches.

²⁰My glory is fresh within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand!

²¹For me they listened and waited; they were silent for my counsel.

²²Once I spoke, they said no more, but received my pronouncement drop by drop.

²³They waited for me as for the rain; they drank in my words like the spring rains.

²⁴When I smiled on them they were reassured;

²⁵5) mourners took comfort from my cheerful glance. I chose out their way and presided; I took a king's place in the armed forces.