“When I went out to the gate by the city,
When I took my seat in the open square,
The young men saw me and hid,
And the aged arose and stood;
The princes refrained from talking,
And (A)put their hand on their mouth;
10 The voice of nobles was hushed,
And their (B)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 (C)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 widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 (D)I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
15 I was (E)eyes to the blind,
And I was feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor,
And (F)I searched out the case that I did not know.
17 I broke (G)the fangs of the wicked,
And plucked the victim from his teeth.

18 “Then I said, (H)‘I shall die in my nest,
And multiply my days as the sand.
19 (I)My root is spread out (J)to the waters,
And the dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My glory is fresh within me,
And my (K)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 (L)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.

Read full chapter

“At my going out the gate to the city,
I secured my seat in the square.
Young men saw me and stepped aside,
and the aged rose up and stood.
Officials refrained from talking,
and they laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The voices[a] of nobles were hushed,
and their tongue stuck to their palate.
11 “When the ear heard and commended me,
and the eye saw and testified in support of me
12 because I saved the needy who cried for help,
and I saved[b] the orphan for whom there was no helper.
13 The blessing of the wretched 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 like a robe and a headband.
15 “I was eyes to the blind,
and I was feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor,
and I investigated the stranger’s[c] legal dispute.
17 And I broke the evil one’s jaw bones,
and I made his prey drop from his teeth.
18 “And I thought, ‘I will pass away in my nest,
and like the phoenix I shall multiply my days.
19 My roots were open to water,
and dew spent the night on my branches;
20 My glory was new with me,
and I was revitalized regularly.’[d]
21 “They listened to me and waited,
and they kept silent for my counsel.
22 After my word, they did not speak again,
and my word dropped down like dew upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain,
and they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.
24 I smiled for them when they had no confidence in anything,
and they did not extinguish the light of my face.
25 I chose their way, and I sat as head,
and I dwelled like a king among the troops,
like one who comforts mourners.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Job 29:10 Hebrew “voice”; collective singular by context, governing a plural verb
  2. Job 29:12 Supplying the elided verb from the preceding parallel line
  3. Job 29:16 Literally “the one I knew not”
  4. Job 29:20 See NJPS; literally “my bow in my hand was new”

“When I went to the gate(A) of the city
    and took my seat in the public square,
the young men saw me and stepped aside(B)
    and the old men rose to their feet;(C)
the chief men refrained from speaking(D)
    and covered their mouths with their hands;(E)
10 the voices of the nobles were hushed,(F)
    and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.(G)
11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
    and those who saw me commended me,(H)
12 because I rescued the poor(I) who cried for help,
    and the fatherless(J) who had none to assist them.(K)
13 The one who was dying blessed me;(L)
    I made the widow’s(M) heart sing.
14 I put on righteousness(N) as my clothing;
    justice was my robe and my turban.(O)
15 I was eyes(P) to the blind
    and feet to the lame.(Q)
16 I was a father to the needy;(R)
    I took up the case(S) of the stranger.(T)
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked
    and snatched the victims(U) from their teeth.(V)

18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,
    my days as numerous as the grains of sand.(W)
19 My roots will reach to the water,(X)
    and the dew will lie all night on my branches.(Y)
20 My glory will not fade;(Z)
    the bow(AA) will be ever new in my hand.’(AB)

21 “People listened to me expectantly,
    waiting in silence for my counsel.(AC)
22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more;(AD)
    my words fell gently on their ears.(AE)
23 They waited for me as for showers
    and drank in my words as the spring rain.(AF)
24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
    the light of my face(AG) was precious to them.[a](AH)
25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;(AI)
    I dwelt as a king(AJ) among his troops;
    I was like one who comforts mourners.(AK)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Job 29:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.