Job 29

CHAPTER 29 The Righteous State

1 But still Job proceeding spoke the retort. 2 O that he might have put me according to the month before the days of which [³me ¹God ²guarded]; 3 as when [²shone ¹his lamp] over my head; when [⁴by his light ¹I went ²through ³darkness]; 4 when I was in the days of my youth; when God overseeing dealt with my house; 5 when I was [²flush ¹exceedingly], and round about me were my children; 6 when [²poured forth ¹my ways] butter, and my mountains poured forth milk; 7 when I went forth at daybreak into the city, [⁵in ¹and ⁶the squares ²they placed ³my ⁴chair]. 8 In beholding me, the young men hid, [³the old men ¹and ²all] stood. 9 And the stout men ceased speaking, [²their finger ¹placing] to their mouth. 10 And the ones hearing declared me blessed; and their tongue [²to ³their throat ¹cleaved]. 11 For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye beholding me, turned aside. 12 For I delivered the poor from out of the hand of the mighty one; and the orphan in whom there was no helper, I helped. 13 [²the blessing ³of the one perishing ⁵upon ⁶me ¹May ⁴come]; for the mouth of the widow blessed me. 14 And righteousness I had put on, and I clothed on judgment equal to a double garment. 15 I was the eye of the blind, and the foot for the lame. 16 I was the father of the disabled; [³the cause ¹and ⁴which ⁵I knew not ²I tracked out]. 17 And I broke the molars of unjust ones; and from out of the midst of their teeth [²the prey ¹I pulled out]. 18 And I said, My stature shall grow old as the trunk of a palm; [²with much ³time ¹I shall spend life]. 19 The root was widened upon the water, and the dew lodged among my harvest. 20 My glory was new with me, and my bow [²in ³his hand ¹went forth]. 21 Men hearing of me took heed, and kept silent over my counsel. 22 At my word they proceeded not; [³overjoyed ¹but ²they became] when I spoke to them. 23 As the earth thirsting, favorably receiving the rain, so were these at my speech. 24 If I should have laughed on them, in no way should they have trusted the thing; and the light of my face was not fallen away. 25 I chose their way, and I sat as ruler; and I encamped as king among armed ones, in which manner [²mourners ¹comforting].