29
Job’s Past Was Glorious
1 And Job again took up his ANum 23:7; 24:3; Job 13:12; 27:1discourse and said,
2 “Oh that I were as in months gone by,
As in the days when God AJer 31:28watched over me;
3 When AJob 18:6His lamp shone over my head,
And BJob 11:17by His light I walked through darkness;
4 As I was in 1Lit the days of my autumnthe prime of my days,
5 When 1Heb Shaddaithe Almighty was yet with me,
And my children were around me;
6 When my steps were bathed in ADeut 32:14; Job 20:17butter,
And the BDeut 32:13; Ps 81:16rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 “When I went out to AJob 31:21the gate of the city,
When I 1Lit set uptook my seat in the square,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves,
And the old men arose and stood.
9 “The princes AJob 29:21stopped talking
And BJob 21:5put their hands on their mouths;
And their BPs 137:6tongue stuck to their palate.
11 “For when AJob 4:3, 4the ear heard, it called me blessed,
And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,
12 Because I delivered AJob 24:4, 9; 34:28; Ps 72:12; Prov 21:13the poor who cried for help,
And the BJob 31:17, 21orphan who had no helper.
13 “The blessing of the one AJob 31:19ready to perish came upon me,
And I made the BJob 22:9widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 “I AJob 27:5, 6; Ps 132:9; Is 59:17; 61:10; Eph 6:14put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.
15 “I was ANum 10:31eyes to the blind
And feet to the lame.
16 “I was a father to AJob 24:4; Prov 29:7the needy,
And I investigated the case which I did not know.
17 “I APs 3:7broke the jaws of the wicked
And snatched the prey from his teeth.
And I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 ‘My AJer 17:8root is spread out to the waters,
And BHos 14:5dew lies all night on my branch.
20 ‘My glory is ever new with me,
And my AGen 49:24; Ps 18:34bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 “To me AJob 4:3; 29:9they listened and waited,
And kept silent for my counsel.
22 “After my words they did not AJob 29:10speak again,
And BDeut 32:2my speech dropped on them.
23 “They waited for me as for the rain,
And opened their mouth 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.
25 “I chose a way for them and sat as AJob 1:3; 31:37chief,
And dwelt as a king among the troops,
As one who BJob 4:4; 16:5comforted the mourners.
A29:1 Num 23:7; 24:3; Job 13:12; 27:1
129:4 Lit the days of my autumn
229:4 Lit counsel
A29:4 Job 15:8; Ps 25:14; Prov 3:32
129:5 Heb Shaddai
129:7 Lit set up
129:10 Lit hidden
A29:12 Job 24:4, 9; 34:28; Ps 72:12; Prov 21:13
B29:12 Job 31:17, 21
A29:14 Job 27:5, 6; Ps 132:9; Is 59:17; 61:10; Eph 6:14
129:18 Lit said
229:18 Lit with