1 J ob 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 w hen his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

4 a s I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,

5 w hen the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,

6 w hen my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,

7 w hen I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.

8 T he young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.

9 T he princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

10 T he voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

11 F or when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me:

12 B ecause I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,

13 t he blessing of him who was ready to perish came on 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 to the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn’t know, I searched out.

17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

18 T hen I said, ‘I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.

19 M y root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.

20 M y glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’

21 “ Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

22 A fter my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.

23 T hey waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.

24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.

25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.