New International Version NIV
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 Job continued his discourse:
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And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: --
2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
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Who doth make me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God's preserving me?
3 when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness!
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In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.
4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,
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As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent.
5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
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When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Round about me -- my young ones,
6 when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.
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When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me rivulets of oil.
7 “When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square,
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When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.
8 the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet;
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Seen me have youths, and they, been hidden, And the aged have risen -- they stood up.
9 the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands;
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Princes have kept in words, And a hand they place on their mouth.
10 the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
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The voice of leaders hath been hidden, And their tongue to the palate hath cleaved.
11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me,
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For the ear heard, and declareth me happy, And the eye hath seen, and testifieth [to] me.
12 because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them.
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For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who hath no helper.
13 The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing.
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The blessing of the perishing cometh on me, And the heart of the widow I cause to sing.
14 I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban.
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Righteousness I have put on, and it clotheth me, As a robe and a diadem my justice.
15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
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Eyes I have been to the blind, And feet to the lame [am] I.
16 I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger.
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A father I [am] to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth.
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And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house, my days as numerous as the grains of sand.
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And I say, `With my nest I expire, And as the sand I multiply days.'
19 My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches.
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My root is open unto the waters, And dew doth lodge on my branch.
20 My glory will not fade; the bow will be ever new in my hand.’
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My honour [is] fresh with me, And my bow in my hand is renewed.
21 “People listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel.
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To me they have hearkened, Yea, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.
22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears.
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After my word they change not, And on them doth my speech drop,
23 They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain.
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And they wait as [for] rain for me, And their mouth they have opened wide [As] for the latter rain.
24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them.
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I laugh unto them -- they give no credence, And the light of my face cause not to fall.
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.
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I choose their way, and sit head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When mourners he doth comfort.
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Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.