The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
King James Version KJV
1 Iyov went on speaking:
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Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 "I wish I were as in the old days, back in the times when God watched over me;
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Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3 when his lamp shone over my head, and I walked through the dark by its light;
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When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
4 as I was when I was young, and God's counsel graced my tent.
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As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
5 Then Shaddai was still with me, my children were around me;
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When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6 my steps were awash in butter, and the rocks poured out for me streams of olive oil.
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When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7 I would go out to the city gate and set up my seat in the open space;
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When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
8 when young men saw me they would hide themselves, while the aged arose and stood;
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The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 leaders refrained from speaking -they would lay their hands on their mouths;
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The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 the voices of nobles were silenced; their tongues stuck to their palates.
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The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 Any ear that heard me blessed me, any eye that saw me gave witness to me,
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When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12 for I delivered the poor when they cried for assistance, the orphan too, who had no one to help him.
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Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
13 Those who had been about to die would bless me, and I made widows sing in their hearts for joy.
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The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; my justice was like a robe and a crown.
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I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes for the blind, and I was feet for the lame.
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I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the problems of those I didn't know.
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I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and snatched the prey from his teeth.
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And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 "I said, 'I will die with my nest, and I will live as long as a phoenix;
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Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 my root will spread till it reaches water, and dew will stay all night on my branch;
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My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 my glory will always be fresh, my bow always new in my hand.'
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My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 "People would listen to me; they waited and were silent when I gave advice.
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Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 After I spoke, they didn't talk back; my words were like drops [of dew] on them.
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After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as if for rain, as if for spring rain, with their mouths open wide.
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And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 When I joked with them, they couldn't believe it; and they never darkened the light on my face.
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If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 I chose their way [for them], sitting as chief; I lived like a king in the army, like one who comforts mourners.
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I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The King James Version is in the public domain.