[1] And Job again took up his parable, 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 shined upon my head, And by his light I walked through darkness; [4] As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was upon my tent; [5] When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were about me; [6] When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured me out streams of oil! [7] When I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the street, [8] The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged rose up and stood; [9] The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth; [10] The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. [11] For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me: [12] Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him. [13] The blessing of him that was ready 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: My justice was as a robe and a diadem. [15] I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame. [16] I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out. [17] And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth. [18] Then I said, 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 the dew lieth all night upon my branch: [20] My glory is fresh in me, And my bow is renewed in my hand. [21] Unto me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel. [22] After my words they spake not again; And my speech distilled upon them. [23] And they waited for me as for the rain; And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. [24] I smiled on them, when they had no confidence; And the light of my countenance they cast not down. [25] I chose out their way, and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king in the army, As one that comforteth the mourners.
