Job 29

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Job Continues His Discourse

And Job continued to lift up his discourse and said, 2

“Oh that I were as in months gone by,

As in the days when God kept me,

When His lamp shone over my head,

And by His light I walked through darkness,

As I was in the prime of my days,

When the intimate counsel with God was over my tent,

When the Almighty was yet with me,

And my children were around me,

When my steps were bathed in butter,

And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

When I went out to the gate of the city,

When I took my seat in the square,

The young men saw me and hid,

And the old men arose and stood.

The princes stopped talking

And put their hands on their mouths;

The voice of the nobles was hidden away,

And their tongue clung to their palate.

For the ear heard, and it called me blessed,

And the eye saw, and it gave witness of me,

Because I provided escape for the afflicted who cried for help,

And the orphan who had no helper.

The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me,

And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.

I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed me;

My justice was like a robe and a turban.

I was eyes to the blind

And feet to the lame.

I was a father to the needy,

And I searched out the case which I did not know.

I broke the fangs of the unjust

And snatched the prey from his teeth.

Then I said, ‘I will breathe my last in my nest,

And I shall multiply my days as the sand.

My root is spread out to the waters,

And dew lies all night on my branch.

My glory is ever new with me,

And my bow is renewed in my hand.’

“To me they listened and waited,

And kept silent for my counsel.

After my words they did not speak again,

And my speech dropped on them.

They waited for me as for the rain,

And opened their mouth as for the late rain.

I laughed with them as they could not believe it,

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

I chose a way for them and sat as chief,

And dwelt as their head among the troops,

As one who comforted the mourners.

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