1Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,2Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;3When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;4As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;5When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;6When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;7When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!8The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.9The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.10The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.11When the ear heard me , then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me , it gave witness to me:12Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.13The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow' heart to sing for joy.14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.15I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.16I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.17And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.18Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.19My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.20My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.21Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.22After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.23And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.24If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.25I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
Job 29
English Standard Version
Job’s Summary Defense
1And Job again took up his discourse, and said: (Nu 23:7; Job 27:1)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, (2Sa 21:17; Job 18:6; Ps 18:28)4as I was in my prime,[1] when the friendship of God was upon my tent, (Job 15:8; Ps 25:14; Pr 3:32)5when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were all around me, (Job 1:2; Ps 128:3)6when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil! (Ge 49:11; De 32:13; De 33:24; Job 20:17; Ps 81:16)7When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square, (Job 5:4)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; (Job 21:5)10the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. (Ps 22:15; Ps 137:6; La 4:4; Eze 3:26)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. (Ps 72:12)13The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. (Ru 2:20; Job 31:20; Pr 31:6; Isa 27:13)14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban. (Job 19:9; Ps 132:9; Isa 11:5; Isa 59:17; Isa 61:10; Isa 62:3; Zec 3:5; Eph 6:14; 1Th 5:8)15I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. (Nu 10:31)16I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. (Pr 29:7)17I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth. (Ps 3:7; Ps 58:6; Pr 30:14)18Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand, (Ge 22:17; Nu 24:21; Job 39:27; Ps 30:6)19my roots spread out to the waters, with the dew all night on my branches, (Job 14:9; Job 18:16; Ps 1:3)20my glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.’ (Ge 49:24; Isa 40:31; Isa 41:1)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. (De 32:2; De 33:28)23They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. (De 11:14; Ps 119:131; Pr 16:15; Isa 5:14; Jer 3:3; Zec 10:1)24I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down. (Ge 4:5; Pr 16:15)25I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners. (Job 15:24)