New American Standard Bible NAS
English Standard Version ESV
1 And Job again took up his discourse and said,
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And Job again took up his discourse, and said:
2 "Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me;
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"Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,
3 When His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness;
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when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;
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as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent,
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
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when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were all around me,
6 When my steps were bathed in butter, And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
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when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 "When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square,
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When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood.
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the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose and stood;
9 "The princes stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths;
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the princes refrained from talking and laid their hand on their mouth;
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to their palate.
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the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 "For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,
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When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved,
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper.
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because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him.
13 "The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow's heart sing for joy.
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The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 "I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a 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 to the blind And feet to the lame.
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I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
16 "I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know.
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I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
17 "I broke the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth.
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I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
18 "Then I thought, 'I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand.
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Then I thought, 'I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand,
19 'My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies all night on my branch.
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my roots spread out to the waters, with the dew all night on my branches,
20 'My glory is ever new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.'
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my glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.'
21 "To me they listened and waited, And kept silent for my counsel.
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"Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel.
22 "After my words they did not speak again, And my speech dropped on them.
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After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them.
23 "They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouth as for the spring rain.
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They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
24 "I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down.
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I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down.
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.
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I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.