New King James Version NKJV
King James Version KJV
1 Job further continued his discourse, and said:
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Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
2 Oh, that I were as in months past, As 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 preserved me;
3 When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness;
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When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
4 Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;
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As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me, When my children were around me;
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When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6 When my steps were bathed with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!
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When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7 "When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square,
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When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
8 The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood;
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The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9 The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth;
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The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10 The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
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The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me;
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When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12 Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper.
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Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
13 The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
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The blessing of him that was ready 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 judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
15 I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame.
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I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
16 I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know.
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I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.
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And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18 "Then I said, 'I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand.
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Then I said, 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 the dew lies all night on my branch.
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My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20 My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.'
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My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21 "Men listened to me and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
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Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
22 After my words they did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew.
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After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.
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And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
24 If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.
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If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
25 I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts mourners.
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I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.