Job 29

Jobs Summary Defense

1 Job further continued his discourse, and said: Job further continued his discourse, and said:2 Oh, that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over me;3 When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness;4 Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;5 When the Almighty was yet with me, When my children were around me;6 When my steps were bathed with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!7 When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square,8 The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood;9 The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth;10 The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.11 When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me;12 Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.13 The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widows heart to 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 I was feet to the lame.16 I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know.17 I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand.19 My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch.20 My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.21  Men listened to me and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.22 After my words they did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew. 23 They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.24  If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.25 I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As 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