Job 29
Contemporary English Version
Job Continues
I Long for the Past
29 Job said:
2 I long for the past,
when God took care of me,
3 and the light from his lamp
showed me the way
through the dark.
4 I was in the prime of life,
God All-Powerful
was my closest friend,
5 and all of my children
were nearby.
6 My herds gave enough milk
to bathe my feet,
and from my olive harvest
flowed rivers of oil.
* 7 When I sat down at the meeting
of the city council,
8 the young leaders stepped aside,
* 9 while the older ones stood
10 and remained silent.
Everyone Was Pleased
11 Everyone was pleased
with what I said and did.
12 When poor people or orphans
cried out for help,
I came to their rescue.
13 And I was highly praised
for my generosity to widows
and others in poverty.
14 Kindness and justice
were my coat and hat;
15 I was helpful to the blind
and to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I defended them in court,
even if they were strangers.
17 When criminals attacked,
I broke their teeth
and set their victims free.
18 I felt certain that I would live
a long and happy life,
then die in my own bed.
19 In those days I was strong
like a tree with deep roots
and with plenty of water,
20 or like an archer's new bow.
21 Everyone listened in silence
to my welcome advice,
22 and when I finished speaking,
nothing needed to be said.
23 My words were eagerly accepted
like the showers of spring,
24 and the smile on my face
renewed everyone's hopes.
25 My advice was followed
as though I were a king
leading my troops,
or someone comforting
those in sorrow.
Job 29
Amplified Bible
Job’s Past Was Glorious
29 And Job again took up his discussion and said,
2
“Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
As in the days when God watched over me,(A)
3
When His lamp shone upon my head
And by His light I walked through darkness;
4
As I was in the prime of my days,
When the friendship and counsel of God were over my tent,
5
When [a]the Almighty was still with me
And my boys were around me,
6
When my steps [through rich pastures] were washed with butter and cream [from my livestock],
And the rock poured out for me streams of oil [from my olive groves].
7
“When I went out to the gate of the city,
When I took my seat [as a city father] in the square,
8
The young men saw me and hid themselves,
The aged arose and stood [respectfully];
9
The princes stopped talking
And put their hands on their mouths;
10
The voices of the nobles were hushed,
And their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
11
“For when an ear heard [my name mentioned], it called me happy and fortunate;
And when an eye saw [me], it testified for me [approvingly],
12
Because I rescued the poor who cried for help,
And the orphan who had no helper.
13
“The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,
And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14
“I put on [b]righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban!
15
“I was eyes to the blind
And I was feet to the lame.
16
“I was a father to the needy;
I investigated the case I did not know [and assured justice].
17
“And I smashed the jaws of the wicked
And snatched the prey from his teeth.
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 and open to the waters,
And the dew lies all night upon my branch.
20
‘My glory and honor are fresh in me [being constantly renewed],
And my bow gains [ever] new strength in my hand.’
21
“They listened to me and waited
And kept silent for my counsel.
22
“After I spoke, they did not speak again,
And my speech dropped upon them [like a refreshing shower].
23
“They waited for me [and for my words] as for the rain,
And they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
24
“I smiled at them when they did not believe,
And they did not diminish the light of my face.
25
“I chose a way for them and sat as chief,
And dwelt as a king among his soldiers,
As one who comforts mourners.
Footnotes
- Job 29:5 Heb Shaddai.
- Job 29:14 Blameless and upright as Job had been—and God had so pronounced him—his misunderstood afflictions had caused him to get dangerously off-center. Instead of keeping his mind focused on God and justifying Him, he is giving his whole thought to justifying himself. Instead of humility there is self-righteousness. In this chapter he uses pronouns referring to himself fifty times. But when he was able to see himself as God saw him, he loathed himself and repented “in dust and ashes” (42:6).
Iyov 29
Orthodox Jewish Bible
29 Moreover Iyov continued his mashal, and said,
2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when Eloah was shomer over me;
3 When His ner (lamp) shined upon my rosh, and when by His ohr I walked through choshech;
4 As I was in the days of my prime, when the Sod Eloah (friendship, counsel of G-d) was over my ohel;
5 When Shaddai was yet with me, when my children were around me;
6 When I washed my steps with khemah, and the tzur poured me out streams of shemen;
7 When I went out to the sha’ar through the city, when I took my moshav in the rekhov!
8 The ne’arim saw me, and stepped aside, and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 The sarim (nobles) refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The nobles held their peace, and their leshon cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ozen heard me, then it commended me; and when the ayin saw me, it did bear witness of me,
12 Because I delivered the oni that cried out, and the yatom that had no ozer (helper) for him.
13 The birkat oved (blessing of the oppressed) came upon me, and I caused the lev almanah to sing for joy.
14 I put on tzedek, and it clothed me; my mishpat was as a robe and a tzanif (turban).
15 I was eyes to the ivver, and feet was I to the pisei’ach.
16 I was an av to the evyonim (needy); and the cause which I knew not I investigated.
17 And I broke the fangs of the wicked, and plucked the prey out of his shinayim.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my ken (nest, house), and I shall multiply my yamim like the chol (sand).
19 My shoresh was spread out to the mayim, and the tal lay all night upon my branch.
20 My kavod was fresh with me, and my keshet was ever new in my yad.
21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my etzah (counsel).
22 Acharei (after) my words they spoke not again; and my speech fell upon them.
23 And they waited for me as for the matar; and they opened their mouth wide as for the malkosh (spring, late rain).
24 I smiled on them when they did not believe; and the ohr of my countenance they did not cast down.
25 I chose out their derech, and sat as Rosh, and dwelt as a melech with his army, as one that comforteth the avelim (mourners).
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