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