Job 29
Jubilee Bible 2000
29 ¶ Moreover, Job continued his parable and said,
2 Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3 when his lamp shone upon my head, and by its light I walked in the darkness;
4 as I was in the days of my youth, when God was familiar in my tent;
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6 when I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
7 ¶ When I went out to the gate to judgment, when I had my seat prepared in the plaza!
8 The young men would see me and hide themselves, and the aged would arise and stand.
9 The princes would refrain from talking and lay their hand on their mouth;
10 the voice of the principals would not be noticed, and their tongue would cleave to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ears that heard me, called me blessed; and when the eyes that saw me, gave witness to me:
12 because I delivered the poor that cried and the fatherless who had no one to help him.
13 The blessing of the one 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 as a robe; and my diadem was judgment.
15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy; and the cause which I did not know I searched out.
17 And I broke the fangs of the wicked and caused their teeth to release the prey.
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 by the waters, and the dew shall remain upon my branches.
20 My glory is renewed with me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.
21 They would hear me and wait, and keep silent at my counsel.
22 After my words they would not reply, but my reason dropped upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If I laughed at them, they did not believe it; and they did not cast down the light of my countenance.
25 I approved their way and sat at the head and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforts the mourners.
Job 29
Complete Jewish Bible
29 Iyov went on speaking:
2 “I wish I were as in the old days,
back in the times when God watched over me;
3 when his lamp shone over my head,
and I walked through the dark by its light;
4 as I was when I was young,
and God’s counsel graced my tent.
5 Then Shaddai was still with me,
my children were around me;
6 my steps were awash in butter,
and the rocks poured out for me streams of olive oil.
7 I would go out to the city gate
and set up my seat in the open space;
8 when young men saw me they would hide themselves,
while the aged arose and stood;
9 leaders refrained from speaking —
they would lay their hands on their mouths;
10 the voices of nobles were silenced;
their tongues stuck to their palates.
11 Any ear that heard me blessed me,
any eye that saw me gave witness to me,
12 for I delivered the poor when they cried for assistance,
the orphan too, who had no one to help him.
13 Those who had been about to die would bless me,
and I made widows sing in their hearts for joy.
14 I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me;
my justice was like a robe and a crown.
15 I was eyes for the blind,
and I was feet for the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I investigated the problems of those I didn’t know.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous
and snatched the prey from his teeth.
18 “I said, ‘I will die with my nest,
and I will live as long as a phoenix;
19 my root will spread till it reaches water,
and dew will stay all night on my branch;
20 my glory will always be fresh,
my bow always new in my hand.’
21 “People would listen to me;
they waited and were silent when I gave advice.
22 After I spoke, they didn’t talk back;
my words were like drops [of dew] on them.
23 They waited for me as if for rain,
as if for spring rain, with their mouths open wide.
24 When I joked with them, they couldn’t believe it;
and they never darkened the light on my face.
25 I chose their way [for them], sitting as chief;
I lived like a king in the army,
like one who comforts mourners.
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Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.