1 Job further continued his discourse, and said: |
2 Oh, that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over me; |
3 When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness; |
4 Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent; |
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, When my children were around me; |
6 When my steps were bathed with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me! |
7 "When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square, |
8 The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood; |
9 The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth; |
10 The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. |
11 When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me; |
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper. |
13 The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. |
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. |
15 I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame. |
16 I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know. |
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth. |
18 "Then I said, 'I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand. |
19 My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch. |
20 My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.' |
21 "Men listened to me and waited, And kept silence for my counsel. |
22 After my words they did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew. |
23 They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain. |
24 If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down. |
25 I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts mourners. |