Job 29
Job Continues: My Glorious Past
1 Job continued his poems and said,2 “If only my life could be like it used to be,in the days when God watched over me,3 when he made his lamp shine on my head,when I walked through the dark in his light.4 If only I were in the prime of my life again,when God was an adviser in my tent.5 When the Almighty was still with meand my children were around me,6 my steps were bathed in buttermilk,and the rocks poured streams of olive oil on me.7 When I went through the city gateand took my seat in the town square,8 young men saw me and kept out of sight.Old men stood up straight out of respect for me.9 Princes held back their wordsand put their hands over their mouths.10 The voices of nobles were hushed,and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.11 “Any ears that heard me blessed me.Any eyes that saw me spoke well of me,12 because I rescued the poor who called for helpand the orphans who had no one to help them.13 I received a blessing from the dying.I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.14 I put on righteousness, and it was my clothing.I practiced justice, and it was my robe and my turban.15 I was eyes for the blind person.I was feet for the lame person.16 I was father to the needy.I carefully investigated cases brought by strangers.17 I broke the teeth of the wicked personand made him drop the prey out of his mouth.18 “I thought, ‘I may die in my own house,but I will make my days as numerous as the sand.19 My roots will grow toward the water,and dew will lie on my branches all night.20 My power will be fresh every day,and the bow in my hand will remain new.’21 “People listened to me eagerly,quietly waiting for my advice.22 After I had spoken, they wouldn’t speak again.After all, my words fell gently on them.23 They were as eager to hear me as they were for rain.They opened their mouths wide as if waiting for a spring shower.24 When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it,but the expression on my face did not change.t25 I decided how they should live.I sat as their leader.I lived like a king among his troops,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