[1] And Job again took up his discourse and said, [2] "Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; [3] When His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness; [4] As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent; [5] When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me; [6] When my steps were bathed in butter, And the rock poured out for me streams of oil! [7] "When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square, [8] The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood. [9] "The princes stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths; [10] The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to their palate. [11] "For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me, [12] Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper. [13] "The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow's heart 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 feet to the lame. [16] "I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know. [17] "I broke the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth. [18] "Then I thought, 'I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand. [19] 'My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies all night on my branch. [20] 'My glory is ever new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.' [21] "To me they listened and waited, And kept silent for my counsel. [22] "After my words they did not speak again, And my speech dropped on them. [23] "They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouth as for the spring rain. [24] "I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down. [25] "I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners.
