1 Moreover Job continued on with his discourse, and said:
2 Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God watched over me;
3 when His lamp shone upon my head, and when by His light I walked through darkness;
4 just as I was in my productive days, when the counsel of God was over my tent;
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were around me;
6 when my steps were bathed in butter, and the rock poured out rivers of oil for me;
7 when I went out to the gate through the city, when I set up my seat in the open square.
8 The young men saw me and hid, and the aged arose and stood up;
9 the rulers refrained from talking, and put their hand on their mouth;
10 the leaders hid their voice, and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard, it blessed me, and when the eye saw, it bore witness to me;
12 because I delivered the poor who cried out, the fatherless and the one who had no one to help him.
13 The blessing of the dying man came upon me, and I caused the widows heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban.
15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the case that I did not know.
17 I broke the fangs of the perverse, and flung out the prey from his teeth.
18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root was open to the waters, and the dew lay all night on my branch.
20 My glory was fresh within me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 Men listened to me and waited, and kept silent for my counsel.
22 After my speech they did not change anything, and my words dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.
24 I laughed at them when they did not believe it, and did not allow the light of my countenance to fall.
25 I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; so I dwelt as a king among the troops, as one who comforts mourners.