The Book of Job

29: 1And Job again took up his parable, and said,

 ^29:2Oh that I were as in the months of old,

 As in the days when God watched over me;

 ^29:3When his lamp shined upon my head,

 And by his light I walked through darkness;

 ^29:4As I was in the ripeness of my days,

 When the friendship of God was upon my tent;

 ^29:5When the Almighty was yet with me,

 And my children were about me;

 ^29:6When my steps were washed with butter,

 And the rock poured me out streams of oil!

 ^29:7When I went forth to the gate unto the city,

 When I prepared my seat in the street,

 ^29:8The young men saw me and hid themselves,

 And the aged rose up and stood;

 ^29:9The princes refrained from talking,

 And laid their hand on their mouth;

 ^29:10The voice of the nobles was hushed,

 And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

 ^29:11For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me;

 And when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me:

 ^29:12Because I delivered the poor that cried,

 The fatherless also, that had none to help him.

 ^29:13The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me;

 And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

 ^29:14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me:

 My justice was as a robe and a diadem.

 ^29:15I was eyes to the blind,

 And feet was I to the lame.

 ^29:16I was a father to the needy:

 And the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

 ^29:17And I brake the jaws of the unrighteous,

 And plucked the prey out of his teeth.

 ^29:18Then I said, I shall die in my nest,

 And I shall multiply my days as the sand:

 ^29:19My root is spread out to the waters,

 And the dew lieth all night upon my branch;

 ^29:20My glory is fresh in me,

 And my bow is renewed in my hand.

 ^29:21Unto me men gave ear, and waited,

 And kept silence for my counsel.

 ^29:22After my words they spake not again;

 And my speech distilled upon them.

 ^29:23And they waited for me as for the rain;

 And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

 ^29:24I smiled on them, when they had no confidence;

 And the light of my countenance they cast not down.

 ^29:25I chose out their way, and sat as chief,

 And dwelt as a king in the army,

 As one that comforteth the mourners.