New International Version NIV
World English Bible WEB
1 Job continued his discourse:
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
2 "Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;
3 when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness!
3 When his lamp shone on my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;
4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,
4 As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was in my tent;
5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
6 when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.
6 When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured out streams of oil for me!
7 “When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square,
7 When I went forth to the city gate, When I prepared my seat in the street,
8 the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet;
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, The aged rose up and stood;
9 the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands;
9 The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;
10 the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me,
11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it commended me:
12 because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them.
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried, And the fatherless also, who had none to help him.
13 The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing.
13 The blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
15 I was eyes to the blind, And feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger.
16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn't know, I searched out.
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth.
17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house, my days as numerous as the grains of sand.
18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.
19 My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches.
19 My root is spread out to the waters, The dew lies all night on my branch;
20 My glory will not fade; the bow will be ever new in my hand.’
20 My glory is fresh in me, My bow is renewed in my hand.'
21 “People listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel.
21 "Men listened to me, waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears.
22 After my words they didn't speak again; My speech fell on them.
23 They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain.
23 They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn't reject the light of my face.
25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I dwelt as a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners.
25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, As one who comforts the mourners.
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