Job’s Past Was Glorious
29 Job again took up his (A)discourse and said,
2 “Oh that I were as in months gone by,
As in the days when God (B)watched over me;
3 When (C)His lamp shone over my head,
And (D)by His light I walked through darkness;
4 Just as I was in the days of my youth,
When the (E)protection of God was over my tent;
5 When [a]the Almighty was still with me,
And my children were around me;
6 When my steps were bathed in (F)cream,
And the (G)rock poured out streams of oil for me!
7 When I went out to (H)the gate of the city,
When I [b]took my seat in the public square,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves,
And the old men arose and stood.
9 The leaders (I)stopped talking
And (J)put their hands on their mouths;
10 The voices of the prominent people were [c](K)hushed,
And their (L)tongues stuck to their palates.
11 For when (M)an ear heard, it called me blessed,
And when an eye saw, it testified in support of me,
12 Because I saved (N)the poor who cried for help,
And the (O)orphan who had no helper.
13 The blessing of the one who (P)was about to perish came upon me,
And I made the (Q)widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 I (R)put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a headband.
15 I was (S)eyes to those who were blind,
And feet to those who [d]could not walk.
16 I was a father to (T)the poor,
And I investigated the case which I did not know.
17 I (U)broke the jaws of the wicked
And rescued the prey from his teeth.
18 Then I [e]thought, ‘I will die with my [f]family,
And I will multiply my days as the sand.
19 My (V)root is spread out to the waters,
And (W)dew lies on my branch all night.
20 My glory is ever new with me,
And my (X)bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 “To me (Y)they listened and waited,
And they kept silent for my advice.
22 After my words (Z)they did not speak again,
And (AA)my speech dropped on them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
And opened their mouths as for the late rain.
24 I smiled at them when they did not believe,
And they did not look at [g]my kindness ungraciously.
25 I chose a way for them and sat as (AB)chief,
And lived as a king among the troops,
As one who (AC)comforted the mourners.
Footnotes
- Job 29:5 Heb Shaddai
- Job 29:7 Lit set up
- Job 29:10 Lit hidden
- Job 29:15 Or limped
- Job 29:18 Lit said
- Job 29:18 Lit nest
- Job 29:24 Lit the light of my face
Cross references
- Job 29:1 : Num 23:7; 24:3; Job 13:12; 27:1
- Job 29:2 : Jer 31:28
- Job 29:3 : Job 18:6
- Job 29:3 : Job 11:17
- Job 29:4 : Job 15:8; Ps 25:14; Prov 3:32
- Job 29:6 : Deut 32:14; Job 20:17
- Job 29:6 : Deut 32:13; Ps 81:16
- Job 29:7 : Job 31:21
- Job 29:9 : Job 29:21
- Job 29:9 : Job 21:5
- Job 29:10 : Job 29:22
- Job 29:10 : Ps 137:6
- Job 29:11 : Job 4:3, 4
- Job 29:12 : Job 24:4, 9; 34:28; Ps 72:12; Prov 21:13
- Job 29:12 : Job 31:17, 21
- Job 29:13 : Job 31:19
- Job 29:13 : Job 22:9
- Job 29:14 : Job 27:5, 6; Ps 132:9; Is 59:17; 61:10; Eph 6:14
- Job 29:15 : Num 10:31
- Job 29:16 : Job 24:4; Prov 29:7
- Job 29:17 : Ps 3:7
- Job 29:19 : Jer 17:8
- Job 29:19 : Hos 14:5
- Job 29:20 : Gen 49:24; Ps 18:34
- Job 29:21 : Job 4:3; 29:9
- Job 29:22 : Job 29:10
- Job 29:22 : Deut 32:2
- Job 29:25 : Job 1:3; 31:37
- Job 29:25 : Job 4:4; 16:5