Job 29:7-25
World English Bible
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 29:7-25
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
7 When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the street [the broad place for the council at the city’s gate],
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves; the aged rose up and stood;
9 The princes refrained from talking and laid their hands on their mouths;
10 The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues cleaved to the roof of their mouths.
11 For when the ear heard, it called me happy and blessed me; and when the eye saw, it testified for me [approvingly],
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, the fatherless and him who had none to help him.
13 The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on [a]righteousness, and it clothed me or clothed itself with me; my justice was like a robe and a turban or a diadem or a crown!
15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor and needy; the cause of him I did not know I searched out.
17 And I broke the jaws or the big teeth of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 Then I said, I shall die in or beside 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 Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I spoke, they did not speak again, and my speech dropped upon them [like a refreshing shower].
23 And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths wide as for the spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and their depression did not cast down the light of my countenance.
25 I chose their way [for them] and sat as [their] chief, and dwelt like a king among his soldiers, like one who comforts mourners.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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 stayed on God and justifying Him, he is giving his whole thought to justifying himself. Instead of humility there is only 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” (Job 42:6).
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