1 And Job againzch. 27:1; See Num. 23:7 took up his discourse, and said:
2 “Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
as in the days when God watched over me,
3 when hisach. 18:6; 2 Sam. 21:17; Ps. 18:28 lamp shone upon my head,
and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 as I was in my prime,
when thebPs. 25:14; Prov. 3:32; See ch. 15:8 friendship of God was upon my tent,
5 when the Almighty was yet with me,
when mycch. 1:2; [Ps. 128:3] children were all around me,
6 when my steps wered[Gen. 49:11] washed withech. 20:17 butter,
andfDeut. 32:13, 14; Ps. 81:16 the rock poured out for me streams ofg[Deut. 33:24] oil!
7 When I went out tohSee ch. 5:4 the gate of the city,
when I prepared my seat in the square,
8 the young men saw me and withdrew,
and the aged rose and stood;
9 the princes refrained from talking
andiSee ch. 21:5 laid their hand on their mouth;
10 the voice of the nobles was hushed,
and theirjPs. 22:15; 137:6; Lam. 4:4; Ezek. 3:26 tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard, it called me blessed,
and when the eye saw, it approved,
12 because IkPs. 72:12 delivered the poor who cried for help,
and the fatherless who had none to help him.
13 lch. 31:20 The blessing of him who wasmProv. 31:6; Isa. 27:13 about to perish came upon me,
and I causedn[Ruth 2:20] the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 IoPs. 132:9; Isa. 59:17; 61:10; [Isa. 11:5; Eph. 6:14; 1 Thess. 5:8] put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
my justice was like a robe andpIsa. 62:3; Zech. 3:5; [ch. 19:9] a turban.
15 I wasqNum. 10:31 eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I searched outr[Prov. 29:7] the cause of him whom I did not know.
17 IsPs. 3:7 broketPs. 58:6; Prov. 30:14 the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
18 u[Ps. 30:6] Then I thought, ‘I shall die in myvNum. 24:21; See ch. 39:27 nest,
and I shall multiply my days aswGen. 22:17 the sand,
19 myxch. 18:16 roots spread out toySee Ps. 1:3 the waters,
with the dew all night on myz[ch. 14:9] branches,
20 my glory fresh with me,
and myaGen. 49:24 bow everb[Isa. 40:31; 41:1] new in my hand. ’
21 Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I spoke they did not speak again,
and my wordc[Deut. 32:2; 33:28] dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
and theydPs. 119:131; [Isa. 5:14] opened their mouths as for theeProv. 16:15; Jer. 3:3; Zech. 10:1; [Deut. 11:14] spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
andfProv. 16:15 the light of mygGen. 4:5 face they did not cast down.
25 I chose their way and sat as chief,
and I lived likehch. 15:24 a king among his troops,
like one who comforts mourners.