Job’s Past Was Glorious

29 Job again took up his (A)discourse and said,

“Oh that I were as in months gone by,
As in the days when God (B)watched over me;
When (C)His lamp shone over my head,
And (D)by His light I walked through darkness;
Just as I was in the days of my youth,
When the (E)protection of God was over my tent;
When [a]the Almighty was still with me,
And my children were around me;
When my steps were bathed in (F)cream,
And the (G)rock poured out streams of oil for me!
When I went out to (H)the gate of the city,
When I [b]took my seat in the public square,
The young men saw me and hid themselves,
And the old men arose and stood.
The leaders (I)stopped talking
And (J)put their hands on their mouths;
10 The voices of the prominent people were [c](K)hushed,
And their (L)tongues stuck to their palates.
11 For when (M)an ear heard, it called me blessed,
And when an eye saw, it testified in support of me,
12 Because I saved (N)the poor who cried for help,
And the (O)orphan who had no helper.
13 The blessing of the one who (P)was about to perish came upon me,
And I made the (Q)widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 I (R)put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a headband.
15 I was (S)eyes to those who were blind,
And feet to those who [d]could not walk.
16 I was a father to (T)the poor,
And I investigated the case which I did not know.
17 I (U)broke the jaws of the wicked
And rescued the prey from his teeth.
18 Then I [e]thought, ‘I will die with my [f]family,
And I will multiply my days as the sand.
19 My (V)root is spread out to the waters,
And (W)dew lies on my branch all night.
20 My glory is ever new with me,
And my (X)bow is renewed in my hand.’

21 “To me (Y)they listened and waited,
And they kept silent for my advice.
22 After my words (Z)they did not speak again,
And (AA)my speech dropped on them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
And opened their mouths as for the late rain.
24 I smiled at them when they did not believe,
And they did not look at [g]my kindness ungraciously.
25 I chose a way for them and sat as (AB)chief,
And lived as a king among the troops,
As one who (AC)comforted the mourners.

Footnotes

  1. Job 29:5 Heb Shaddai
  2. Job 29:7 Lit set up
  3. Job 29:10 Lit hidden
  4. Job 29:15 Or limped
  5. Job 29:18 Lit said
  6. Job 29:18 Lit nest
  7. Job 29:24 Lit the light of my face

Job’s Final Defense

29 Job continued his discourse:(A)

“How I long for the months gone by,(B)
    for the days when God watched over me,(C)
when his lamp shone on my head
    and by his light I walked through darkness!(D)
Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
    when God’s intimate friendship(E) blessed my house,(F)
when the Almighty was still with me
    and my children(G) were around me,(H)
when my path was drenched with cream(I)
    and the rock(J) poured out for me streams of olive oil.(K)

“When I went to the gate(L) of the city
    and took my seat in the public square,
the young men saw me and stepped aside(M)
    and the old men rose to their feet;(N)
the chief men refrained from speaking(O)
    and covered their mouths with their hands;(P)
10 the voices of the nobles were hushed,(Q)
    and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.(R)
11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
    and those who saw me commended me,(S)
12 because I rescued the poor(T) who cried for help,
    and the fatherless(U) who had none to assist them.(V)
13 The one who was dying blessed me;(W)
    I made the widow’s(X) heart sing.
14 I put on righteousness(Y) as my clothing;
    justice was my robe and my turban.(Z)
15 I was eyes(AA) to the blind
    and feet to the lame.(AB)
16 I was a father to the needy;(AC)
    I took up the case(AD) of the stranger.(AE)
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked
    and snatched the victims(AF) from their teeth.(AG)

18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,
    my days as numerous as the grains of sand.(AH)
19 My roots will reach to the water,(AI)
    and the dew will lie all night on my branches.(AJ)
20 My glory will not fade;(AK)
    the bow(AL) will be ever new in my hand.’(AM)

21 “People listened to me expectantly,
    waiting in silence for my counsel.(AN)
22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more;(AO)
    my words fell gently on their ears.(AP)
23 They waited for me as for showers
    and drank in my words as the spring rain.(AQ)
24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
    the light of my face(AR) was precious to them.[a](AS)
25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;(AT)
    I dwelt as a king(AU) among his troops;
    I was like one who comforts mourners.(AV)

Footnotes

  1. Job 29:24 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.