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29 ¶ Moreover, Job continued his parable and said,

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

when his lamp shone upon my head, and by its light I walked in the darkness;

as I was in the days of my youth, when God was familiar in my tent;

when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

when I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

¶ When I went out to the gate to judgment, when I had my seat prepared in the plaza!

The young men would see me and hide themselves, and the aged would arise and stand.

The princes would refrain from talking and lay their hand on their mouth;

10 the voice of the principals would not be noticed, and their tongue would cleave to the roof of their mouth.

11 When the ears that heard me, called me blessed; and when the eyes that saw me, gave witness to me:

12 because I delivered the poor that cried and the fatherless who had no one to help him.

13 The blessing of the one that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

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

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

16 I was a father to the needy; and the cause which I did not know I searched out.

17 And I broke the fangs of the wicked and caused their teeth to release the prey.

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

19 My root is spread out by the waters, and the dew shall remain upon my branches.

20 My glory is renewed with me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.

21 They would hear me and wait, and keep silent at my counsel.

22 After my words they would not reply, but my reason dropped upon them.

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

24 If I laughed at them, they did not believe it; and they did not cast down the light of my countenance.

25 I approved their way and sat at the head and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforts the mourners.

Job’s Final Defense

29 Job continued his discourse:(A)

“How I long for the months gone by,(B)
    for the days when God watched over me,(C)
when his lamp shone on my head
    and by his light I walked through darkness!(D)
Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
    when God’s intimate friendship(E) blessed my house,(F)
when the Almighty was still with me
    and my children(G) were around me,(H)
when my path was drenched with cream(I)
    and the rock(J) poured out for me streams of olive oil.(K)

“When I went to the gate(L) of the city
    and took my seat in the public square,
the young men saw me and stepped aside(M)
    and the old men rose to their feet;(N)
the chief men refrained from speaking(O)
    and covered their mouths with their hands;(P)
10 the voices of the nobles were hushed,(Q)
    and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.(R)
11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
    and those who saw me commended me,(S)
12 because I rescued the poor(T) who cried for help,
    and the fatherless(U) who had none to assist them.(V)
13 The one who was dying blessed me;(W)
    I made the widow’s(X) heart sing.
14 I put on righteousness(Y) as my clothing;
    justice was my robe and my turban.(Z)
15 I was eyes(AA) to the blind
    and feet to the lame.(AB)
16 I was a father to the needy;(AC)
    I took up the case(AD) of the stranger.(AE)
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked
    and snatched the victims(AF) from their teeth.(AG)

18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,
    my days as numerous as the grains of sand.(AH)
19 My roots will reach to the water,(AI)
    and the dew will lie all night on my branches.(AJ)
20 My glory will not fade;(AK)
    the bow(AL) will be ever new in my hand.’(AM)

21 “People listened to me expectantly,
    waiting in silence for my counsel.(AN)
22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more;(AO)
    my words fell gently on their ears.(AP)
23 They waited for me as for showers
    and drank in my words as the spring rain.(AQ)
24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
    the light of my face(AR) was precious to them.[a](AS)
25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;(AT)
    I dwelt as a king(AU) among his troops;
    I was like one who comforts mourners.(AV)

Footnotes

  1. Job 29:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.