Job 29
World English Bible
29 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 shone on my head,
and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 as I was in my prime,
when the friendship of God was in my tent,
5 when the Almighty was yet with me,
and my children were around me,
6 when my steps were washed with butter,
and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
7 when I went out to the city gate,
when I prepared my seat in the street.
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves.
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 stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me,
and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
12 because I delivered the poor who cried,
and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
13 the 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.
I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous
and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house,
I will count my days as the sand.
19 My root is spread out to the waters.
The dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My 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 After my words they didn’t speak again.
My speech fell on them.
23 They 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.
Job 29
International Children’s Bible
Job Continues
29 Job continued to speak:
2 “How I wish for the months that have passed.
I wish for the days when God watched over me.
3 I wish for the days when God’s lamp shined on my head.
And I wish for the time I walked through darkness by his light.
4 I wish for the days when I was at my strongest,
when God’s close friendship blessed my house.
5 That was when my children were all around me.
And God All-Powerful was still with me.
6 Life was so good. It was as if my path were covered with cream.
It was as if even the rocks poured out streams of olive oil for me.
7 I would go to the city gate
and sit in the public square.
8 When the young men saw me, they would step out of my way.
And the old men would stand up in respect for me.
9 The leading men stopped speaking
and covered their mouths with their hands.
10 The voices of the important men were quiet.
It was as if each man’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.
11 Anyone who heard me said good things about me.
And those who saw me praised me.
12 This was because I saved the poor who cried for help.
And I saved the orphan who had no one to help him.
13 The dying person blessed me.
And I made the widow’s heart sing.
14 I put on right living as if it were clothing.
I wore fairness as if it were my robe and my turban.
15 I tried to be eyes for the blind.
And I tried to be feet for those who were crippled.
16 I was like a father to needy people.
And I took the side of strangers when they were in trouble.
17 I broke the fangs of evil people.
And I snatched from their teeth the people they wanted to hurt.
18 “I thought, ‘I will live for as many days as there are grains of sand.
And I will die in my own house.
19 I will be like a tree whose roots reach down to the water.
The dew will lie on the branches all night.
20 New honors will come to me continually.
I will always have great strength.’
21 “People listened to me carefully.
They waited quietly for my advice.
22 After I finished speaking, they spoke no more.
My words fell very gently on their ears.
23 They waited for me as they would for rain.
They drank in my words as if they were spring rain.
24 I smiled at them when they doubted.
And my approval was important to them.
25 I chose the right way for them and was their leader.
I lived like a king among his army.
I was like a person who gives comfort to sad people.
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The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
