[1] Job again took up his parable, and said, [2] "Oh that I were as in the
months of old, As in the days when God watched over me; [3] When his
lamp shone on my head, And by his light I walked through darkness; [4]
As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was in
my tent; [5] When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were
around me; [6] When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock
poured out streams of oil for me! [7] When I went forth to the city gate,
When I prepared my seat in the street, [8] The young men saw me and hid
themselves, The aged rose up and stood; [9] The princes refrained from
talking, And laid their hand on their mouth; [10] The voice of the
nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
[11] For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw
me, it commended me: [12] Because I delivered the poor who cried, And
the fatherless also, who had none to help him. [13] The blessing of him who
was ready to perish came on me, And I caused the widow`s heart to sing
for joy. [14] I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was
as a robe and a diadem. [15] I was eyes to the blind, And feet to the
lame. [16] I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn`t
know, I searched out. [17] I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, And
plucked the prey out of his teeth. [18] Then I said, `I shall die in my own
house, I shall number my days as the sand. [19] My root is spread out to
the waters, The dew lies all night on my branch; [20] My glory is fresh
in me, My bow is renewed in my hand.` [21] "Men listened to me, waited,
And kept silence for my counsel. [22] After my words they didn`t speak
again; My speech fell on them. [23] They waited for me as for the rain.
Their mouths drank as with the spring rain. [24] I smiled on them when
they had no confidence. They didn`t reject the light of my face. [25] I
chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army,
As one who comforts the mourners.
