GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 Job continued his poems and said,
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Job further continued his discourse, and said:
2 "If only my life could be like it used to be, in the days when God watched over me,
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Oh, that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over me;
3 when he made his lamp shine on my head, when I walked through the dark in his light.
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When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness;
4 If only I were in the prime of my life [again], when God was an adviser in my tent.
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Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;
5 When the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
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When the Almighty was yet with me, When my children were around me;
6 my steps were bathed in buttermilk, and the rocks poured streams of olive oil on me.
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When my steps were bathed with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!
7 When I went through the city gate and took my seat in the town square,
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"When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square,
8 young men saw me and kept out of sight. Old men stood up straight out of respect [for me].
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The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood;
9 Princes held back [their] words and put their hands over their mouths.
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The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth;
10 The voices of nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
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The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 "[Any] ears that heard me blessed me. [Any] eyes that saw me spoke well of me,
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When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me;
12 because I rescued the poor who called [for help] and the orphans who had no one to help them.
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Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
13 I received a blessing from the dying. I made the widow's heart sing for joy.
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The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it was my clothing. I practiced justice, and it was my robe and my turban.
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I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban.
15 I was eyes for the blind person. I was feet for the lame person.
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I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame.
16 I was father to the needy. I carefully investigated cases brought by strangers.
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I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know.
17 I broke the teeth of the wicked person and made him drop the prey out of his mouth.
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I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.
18 "I thought, 'I may die in my own house, but I will make my days as numerous as the sand.
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"Then I said, 'I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand.
19 My roots will grow toward the water, and dew will lie on my branches all night.
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My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My power will be fresh [every day], and the bow in my hand will remain new.'
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My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.'
21 "People listened to me eagerly, quietly waiting for my advice.
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"Men listened to me and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I had spoken, they wouldn't speak again. After all, my words fell gently on them.
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After my words they did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew.
23 They were as eager to hear me as they were for rain. They opened their mouths wide as if waiting for a spring shower.
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They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.
24 When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it, but the expression on my face did not change.
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If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.
25 I decided how they should live. I sat as their leader. I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners.
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I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts mourners.