Job 29

Job remembers the days when God watched over him

¹Then Job took up his discourse again: ²Oh, that I were as in the months gone by, \q as in the days when God watched over me, ³when his lamp shone above my head, \q and by his light I walked through the darkness, ⁴as I was in the days of my prime, \q when God’s friendship was over my tent, ⁵when the Almighty was still with me \q and my children were all around me,^{a 6}when my steps were bathed in cream, \q and the rock poured out streams of olive oil for me! ⁷When I went out to the city gate \q and took my seat in the public square, ⁸the young men saw me and stepped aside, \q and the old men rose and stood; ⁹officials stopped talking \q and put their hands over their mouths; ¹⁰the voices of the nobles fell silent, \q and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths. ¹¹When anyone heard me, they called me blessed, \q and when anyone saw me, they spoke well of me, ¹²because I rescued the poor who cried for help \q and the fatherless who had no one to help them. ¹³The blessing of those who were about to perish came upon me, \q and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy. ¹⁴I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; \q my justice was like a robe and a turban. ¹⁵I was eyes for the blind \q and feet for the lame. ¹⁶I was a father to the needy, \q and I looked into the case of the stranger.^{b 17}I broke the fangs of the wicked \q and made them drop their prey from their teeth. ¹⁸I said, I will die in my own nest, \q and my days will be as many as the grains of sand.^{c 19}My roots reach out to the water, \q and the dew lies all night on my branches. ²⁰My honor stays fresh with me, \q and my bow is ever new in my hand. ²¹People listened to me and waited; \q they kept silent for my advice. ²²After I spoke, they did not speak again; \q my words fell on them like drops of rain. ²³They waited for me as for the rain \q and opened their mouths wide as for the spring rain. ²⁴I smiled on them when they had lost confidence, \q and they did not cast down the light of my face.^{d 25}I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; \q I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts those who mourn.