Job 29
Job Recalls His Former
Glory |
1 |
Moreover Job continued his parable, and
said,
|
2 |
Oh that I were as in months
past,
|
as in the days when God perserved
me; |
|
|
3 |
when his candle shined upon my head,
|
and when by his light I walked through darkness; |
|
|
4 |
as I was in the days of my youth,
|
when the secret of God was upon my
tabernacle; |
|
|
5 |
when the Almighty was yet with
me,
|
when my children were about
me; |
|
|
6 |
when I washed my steps with butter,
|
and the rock poured me out rivers of
oil; |
|
|
7 |
when I went out to the gate through the
city,
|
when I prepared my seat in the
street! |
|
|
8 |
The young men saw me, and hid
themselves:
|
and the aged arose, and stood
up. |
|
|
9 |
The princes refrained talking,
|
and laid their hand on their
mouth. |
|
|
10 |
The nobles held their peace,
|
and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their
mouth. |
|
|
11 |
When the ear heard me, then it
blessed me;
|
and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to
me: |
|
|
12 |
because I delivered the poor that
cried,
|
and the fatherless, and him that had none to
help him. |
|
|
13 |
The blessing of him 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:
|
my judgment was as a robe and a
diadem. |
|
|
15 |
I was eyes to the blind,
|
and feet was I to the
lame. |
|
|
16 |
I was a father to the poor:
|
and the cause which I knew not I searched
out. |
|
|
17 |
And I brake the jaws of the wicked,
|
and plucked the spoil out of his
teeth. |
|
|
18 |
Then I said, I shall die in my nest,
|
and I shall multiply my days as the
sand. |
|
|
19 |
My root was spread out by the
waters,
|
and the dew lay all night upon my
branch. |
|
|
20 |
My glory was fresh in me,
|
and my bow was renewed in my hand.
|
|
|
21 |
Unto me men gave ear, and
waited,
|
and kept silence at my
counsel. |
|
|
22 |
After my words they spake not again;
|
and my speech 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 on them, they
believed it not;
|
and the light of my countenance they cast not
down. |
|
|
25 |
I chose out their way, and sat chief,
|
and dwelt as a king in the army, |
as one that comforteth the
mourners. |
|
|