NHEBME - Job - 29

29:1  Job again took up his parable, and said,

29:2  "Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

29:3  when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

29:4  as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,

29:5  when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,

29:6  when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,

29:7  when I went forth to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.

29:8  The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.

29:9  The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

29:10  The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

29:11  For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:

29:12  Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,

29:13  the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

29:14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

29:15  I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.

29:16  I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I did not know, I searched out.

29:17  I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

29:18  Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.

29:19  My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.

29:20  My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.'

29:21  "Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

29:22  After my words they did not speak again. My speech fell on them.

29:23  They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.

29:24  I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They did not reject the light of my face.

29:25  I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.