Job 29 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)

Job Finishes His Defence

29 Job again took up his discourse and said:

2 ‘O that I were as in the months of old,
as in the days when God watched over me;
3 when his lamp shone over my head,
and by his light I walked through darkness;
4 when I was in my prime,
when the friendship of God was upon my tent;
5 when the Almighty[a] was still with me,
when my children were around me;
6 when my steps were washed with milk,
and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
7 When I went out to the gate of the city,
when I took my seat in the square,
8 the young men saw me and withdrew,
and the aged rose up and stood;
9 the nobles refrained from talking,
and laid their hands on their mouths;
10 the voices of princes were hushed,
and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
11 When the ear heard, it commended me,
and when the eye saw, it approved;
12 because I delivered the poor who cried,
and the orphan who had no helper.
13 The blessing of the wretched 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.
15 I was eyes to the blind,
and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy,
and I championed the cause of the stranger.
17 I broke the fangs of the unrighteous,
and made them drop their prey from their teeth.
18 Then I thought, “I shall die in my nest,
and I shall multiply my days like the phoenix;[b]
19 my roots spread out to the waters,
with the dew all night on my branches;
20 my glory was fresh with me,
and my bow ever new in my hand.”

21 ‘They listened to me, and waited,
and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I spoke they did not speak again,
and my word dropped upon them like dew.[c]
23 They waited for me as for the rain;
they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence;
and the light of my countenance they did not extinguish.[d]
25 I chose their way, and sat as chief,
and I lived like a king among his troops,
like one who comforts mourners.

Footnotes

  1. Job 29:5 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai
  2. Job 29:18 Or like sand
  3. Job 29:22 Heb lacks like dew
  4. Job 29:24 Meaning of Heb uncertain

You Might Also Like:

Job 29 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

29 And Job addeth to lift up his simile, and saith: -- 2 Who doth make me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God's preserving me? 3 In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness. 4 As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God upon my tent....
Read More

Job 29 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

29 Also Job added, taking his parable, and said, (And Job added again to his parable, and said,) 2 Who giveth to me, that I be beside the eld months, by the days in which God kept me? (Who giveth to me, that once more I be, like in the months gone by, yea, those days in which God looked after me?) 3...
Read More

Job 29 - World English Bible (WEB)

29 Job again took up his parable, and said, 2 “Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;3 when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,5 when the Almighty was yet wi...
Read More

Job 29 - The Voice (VOICE)

The great wisdom of the ages begins with fearing God. It is the evil of the world that clouds our understanding and leads us into foolishness.29 Job continued. 2 Job: Ah, that I were as I once was, months ago during the time when God oversaw me,3 When His lamp shone above my head, and by His light,...
Read More

Job 29 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Job Remembers Better Days29 Again Job took up his discourse saying: 2 “O that I could be as in the months gone by, as in the days when God watched over me,3 when His lamp shone above my head,when by His light I walked through darkness;4 as I was in the days of my prime,when God’s intimate friendship...
Read More

Job 29 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Job Finishes His Defense29 And Job again took up his discourse, and said: 2 “Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;3 when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;4 as I was in my autumn days, when the friendship of God was up...
Read More

Job 29 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Job Finishes His Defense29 And Job again took up his discourse, and said: 2 “Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;3 when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;4 as I was in my autumn days, when the friendship of God was up...
Read More

Job 29 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Job Finishes His Defense29 Job again took up his discourse and said: 2 “O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;3 when his lamp shone over my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent;...
Read More

Job 29 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Job Finishes His Defence29 Job again took up his discourse and said: 2 ‘O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;3 when his lamp shone over my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent;...
Read More

Job 29 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Job Finishes His Defense29 Job again took up his discourse and said:(A)2 “O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,(B)3 when his lamp shone over my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,(C)4 when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon ...
Read More

Job 29 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Job Speaks of His Former Blessings29 Job continued speaking: 2 “I long for the years gone by when God took care of me,3 when he lit up the way before me and I walked safely through the darkness.4 When I was in my prime, God’s friendship was felt in my home.5 The Almighty was still with me, and my ch...
Read More

Job 29 - New Life Version (NLV)

Job Tells of His Past Days29 Then Job spoke again and said, 2 “If only I could be now as I was in the months past when God watched over me! 3 His lamp shined over my head then and by His light I walked through darkness. 4 Those days were my best days when God was my friend watching over my tent. ...
Read More

Job 29 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Job’s Summary Defense29 Job further continued his discourse, and said: 2 “Oh, that I were as in months (A)past,As in the days when God (B)watched over me;3 (C)When His lamp shone upon my head,And when by His light I walked through darkness;4 Just as I was in the days of my prime,When (D)the friendly...
Read More

Job 29 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Job’s final defence29 Job continued his discourse: 2 ‘How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,3 when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness!4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,5 when...
Read More

Job 29 - New International Version (NIV)

Job’s Final Defense29 Job continued his discourse:(A) 2 “How I long for the months gone by,(B) for the days when God watched over me,(C)3 when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness!(D)4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship(E) blessed ...
Read More

Job 29 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Job’s Final Speech29 Job continued to speak. He said, 2 “How I long for the times when things were better! That’s when God watched over me.3 The light of his lamp shone on me. I walked through darkness by his light.4 Those were the best days of my life. That’s when God’s friendship blessed my house....
Read More

Job 29 - New English Translation (NET)

IV. Job’s Concluding Soliloquy (29:1-31:40)Job Recalls His Former Condition[a]29 Then Job continued[b] his speech: 2 “O that I could be[c] as[d] I wasin the months now gone,[e]in the days[f] when God watched over[g] me,3 when[h] he caused[i] his lamp[j]to shine upon my head,and by his lightI walked[...
Read More