29:1 And Job again took up his parable, and said,
29:1 And Job again took up his discourse and said,

29:2 Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;
29:2 "Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me;

29:3 When his lamp shined upon my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;
29:3 When His lamp shone over my head, [And] by His light I walked through darkness;

29:4 As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was upon my tent;
29:4 As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God [was] over my tent;

29:5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were about me;
29:5 When the Almighty was yet with me, [And] my children were around me;

29:6 When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured me out streams of oil!
29:6 When my steps were bathed in butter, And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

29:7 When I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the street,
29:7 "When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square;

29:8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged rose up and stood;
29:8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose [and] stood.

29:9 The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;
29:9 "The princes stopped talking, And put [their] hands on their mouths;

29:10 The voice of the nobels was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
29:10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to their palate.

29:11 For when the ear heard (me), then it blessed me; And when the eye saw (me), it gave witness unto me:
29:11 "For when the ear heard, it called me blessed; And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,

29:12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him.
29:12 Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper.

29:13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
29:13 "The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow's heart sing for joy.

29:14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
29:14 "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban.

29:15 I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame.
29:15 "I was eyes to the blind, And feet to the lame.

29:16 I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
29:16 "I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know.

29:17 And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.
29:17 "And I broke the jaws of the wicked, And snatched the prey from his teeth.

29:18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand:
29:18 "Then I thought, 'I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply [my] days as the sand.

29:19 My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lieth all night upon my branch;
29:19 'My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies all night on my branch.

29:20 My glory is fresh in me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
29:20 'My glory is [ever] new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.'

29:21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
29:21 "To me they listened and waited, And kept silent for my counsel.

29:22 After my words they spake not again; And my speech distilled upon them.
29:22 "After my words they did not speak again, And my speech dropped on them.

29:23 And they waited for me as for the rain; And they opened their mouth wide (as) for the latter rain.
29:23 "And they waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouth as for the spring rain.

29:24 I smiled on them, when they had no confidence; And the light of my countenance they cast not down.
29:24 "I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down.

29:25 I chose out their way, and sat (as) chief, And dwelt as a king in the army, As one that comforteth the mourners.
29:25 "I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners.