Job 29

 

Job 29:1

And Job again took up his parable, and said,

Job 29:2

Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;

Job 29:3

When his lamp shined upon my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;

Job 29:4

As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was upon my tent;

Job 29:5

When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were about me;

Job 29:6

When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured me out streams of oil!

Job 29:7

When I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the street,

Job 29:8

The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged rose up and stood;

Job 29:9

The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;

Job 29:10

The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

Job 29:11

For when the ear heard [me], then it blessed me; And when the eye saw [me], it gave witness unto me:

Job 29:12

Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him.

Job 29:13

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

Job 29:14

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

Job 29:15

I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame.

Job 29:16

I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

Job 29:17

And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.

Job 29:18

Then I said, I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand:

Job 29:19

My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lieth all night upon my branch;

Job 29:20

My glory is fresh in me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.

Job 29:21

Unto me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.

Job 29:22

After my words they spake not again; And my speech distilled upon them.

Job 29:23

And they waited for me as for the rain; And they opened their mouth wide [as] for the latter rain.

Job 29:24

I smiled on them, when they had no confidence; And the light of my countenance they cast not down.

Job 29:25

I chose out their way, and sat [as] chief, And dwelt as a king in the army, As one that comforteth the mourners.