Job 29
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
29 Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:
2 Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?
3 When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?
5 When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?
6 When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil?
7 When I went out to the gate of the city, and in the street they prepared me a chair?
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up and stood.
9 The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.
10 The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.
11 The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:
12 Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that had no helper.
13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.
14 I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment, as with a robe and a diadem.
15 I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame.
16 I was the father of the poor: and the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.
17 I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.
18 And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.
19 My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.
20 My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.
21 They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.
22 To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for a latter shower.
24 If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.
25 If I had a mind to go to them, I sat first, and when I sat as a king, with his army standing about him, yet I was a comforter of them that mourned.
Job 29
King James Version
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 candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
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 through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him 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 judgment 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 poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil 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 was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 After my words they spake not again; and my speech 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 on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth 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.