Job 29

1  AND JOB again took up his discussion and said,2  Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me, 3  When His lamp shone above and upon my head and by His light I walked through darkness;4  As I was in the [prime] ripeness of my days, when the friendship and counsel of God were over my tent,5  When the Almighty was yet with me and my children were about me,6  When my steps [through rich pasturage] were washed with butter and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!7  When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the street [the broad place for the council at the city’s gate],8  The young men saw me and hid themselves; the aged rose up and stood;9  The princes refrained from talking and laid their hands on their mouths;10  The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues cleaved to the roof of their mouths.11  For when the ear heard, it called me happy and blessed me; and when the eye saw, it testified for me [approvingly],12  Because I delivered the poor who cried, the fatherless and him who had none to help him.13  The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me or clothed itself with me; my justice was like a robe and a turban or a diadem or a crown!15  I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.16  I was a father to the poor and needy; the cause of him I did not know I searched out.17  And I broke the jaws or the big teeth of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.18  Then I said, I shall die in or beside my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.19  My root is spread out and open to the waters, and the dew lies all night upon my branch.20  My glory and honor are fresh in me [being constantly renewed], and my bow gains [ever] new strength 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 speech dropped upon them [like a refreshing shower].23  And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths wide as for the spring rain.24  I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and their depression did not cast down the light of my countenance.25  I chose their way [for them] and sat as [their] chief, and dwelt like a king among his soldiers, like one who comforts mourners.

Job 29

IV. Job’s Concluding Soliloquy (29:1-31:40)

Job Recalls His Former Condition

1 Then Job continuedt his speech:

2 “O that I could bet ast I was
in the months now gone,t
in the dayst when God watchedt over me,

3 whent he causedt his lamps
to shine upon my head,
and by his light
I walkedt through darkness;t

4 just as I was in my most productive time,t
when God’s intimate friendships was experienced in my tent,

5 when the Almightyt was still with me
and my children weres around me;

6 when my stepst were bathedt with buttert
and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil!t

7 When I went out to the city gate
and secured my seat in the public square,s

8 the young men would see me and step aside,t
and the old men would get up and remain standing;

9 the chief men refrained from talking
and covered their mouths with their hands;

10 the voices of the nobles fell silent,t
and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

Job’s Benevolence

11 “As soon as the ear heard these things,t it blessed me,t
and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me,

12 for I rescued the poor who cried out for help,
and the orphan whot had no one to assist him;

13 the blessing of the dying man descended on me,t
and I made the widow’s heart rejoice;t

14 I put on righteousness and it clothed me,t
my just dealingt was like a robe and a turban;

15 I was eyes for the blind
and feet for the lame;

16 I was a fathers to the needy,
and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;

17 I broke the fangst of the wicked,
and made him dropt his prey from his teeth.

Job’s Confidence

18 “Then I thought, ‘I will die in my own home,s
my days as numerous as the grains of sand.s

19 My roots reach the water,
and the dew lies on my branches all night long.

20 My gloryt will always be fresht in me,
and my bow ever new in my hand.’

Job’s Reputation

21 “Peoplet listened to me and waited silently;s
they kept silent for my advice.

22 After I had spoken, they did not respond;
my words fell on them drop by drop.t

23 They waited for me as people waitt for the rain,
and they opened their mouthss
as fort the spring rains.

24 If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it;t
and they did not cause the light of my face to darken.t

25 I choset the way for themt
and sat as their chief;t
I lived like a king among his troops;
I was like one who comforts mourners.s