Job Continues
29 Job continued ·to speak [L his discourse; 27:1]:
2 “How I wish for the months ·that have passed [of old]
and the days when God ·watched over [protected; guarded] me.
3 God’s lamp shined ·on [or over] my head,
and I walked ·through [in] darkness by his light.
4 I wish for the days when I was ·strong [in the prime of my life],
when God’s close friendship ·blessed my house [L was over my tent].
5 ·The Almighty [Shaddai] was still with me,
and my children were all around me.
6 It was as if my ·path [or steps] were covered with ·cream [or butter]
and the rocks poured out olive oil for me [C representing his earlier prosperity; 1:1–5].
7 I would go to the city gate
and sit in the public square [C indicating Job was a city leader/elder].
8 When the young men saw me, they would ·step aside [or hide],
and the old men would stand up in respect.
9 The ·leading men [princes] ·stopped speaking [L grew silent]
and covered their mouths with their hands.
10 The voices of the ·important men [nobles] ·were quiet [grew silent],
as if their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
11 ·Anyone [L Any ear] who heard me ·spoke well of [L blessed] me,
and ·those who [L the eye that] saw me ·praised [L bore testimony to] me,
12 because I ·saved [rescued] the poor who ·called out [L cried for help]
and the orphan who had no one to help.
13 The ·dying [L perishing] person blessed me,
and I made the widow’s heart ·sing [L shout for joy].
14 I ·put on right living as if it were clothing [L clothed myself with righteousness and it clothed me];
I wore ·fairness [justice] like a robe and a turban.
15 I was eyes for the blind
and feet for the lame.
16 I was like a father to needy people,
and I ·took the side of [examined the cause of] ·strangers who were in trouble [L strangers; those I did not know].
17 I broke the ·fangs [or jaw] of evil people
and snatched the ·captives [L prey; C the wicked are predators] from their teeth.
18 “I thought, ‘I will ·live for as many days as there are grains of [L multiply my days like] sand,
and I will die in my ·own house [L nest].
19 My roots ·will reach down [opened] to the water.
The dew ·will lie [lodged] on the branches all night.
20 ·New honors will come to me continually [My honor/or liver/heart was new],
and ·I will always have great strength [L my bow was renewed within my hand].’
21 “People listened to me carefully
and waited ·quietly [silently] for my advice.
22 After I finished speaking, they spoke no more.
My words ·fell [L dripped] very gently on their ears.
23 They waited for me as they would for rain
and ·drank in my words like [L opened their mouth for] spring rain.
24 I smiled at them when they ·doubted [L had no confidence],
and ·my approval was important to them [L they did not frown at the light of my countenance].
25 I chose the way for them and ·was their leader [L sat as their chief].
I lived like a king among his army,
like a person who comforts ·sad [mourning] people.