Job relates his former happiness, and the respect that all men shewed
him.
29:1. Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:
29:2. Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past,
according to the days in which God kept me?
29:3. When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in
darkness?
29:4. As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my
tabernacle?
29:5. When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?
29:6. When I washed my feet with butter, and the rock poured me out
rivers of oil?
29:7. When I went out to the gate of the city, and in the street they
prepared me a chair?
29:8. The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up
and stood.
29:9. The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.
29:10. The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their
throat.
29:11. The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave
witness to me:
29:12. Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the
fatherless, that had no helper.
29:13. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I
comforted the heart of the widow.
29:14. I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment,
as with a robe and a diadem.
29:15. I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame.
29:16. I was the father of the poor: and the cause which I knew not, I
searched out most diligently.
29:17. I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took
away the prey.
29:18. And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall
multiply my days.
29:19. My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my
harvest.
29:20. My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be
repaired.
29:21. They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive
held their peace at my counsel.
29:22. To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon
them.
29:23. They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as
for a latter shower.
29:24. If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the
light of my countenance fell not on earth.
29:25. If I had a mind to go to them, I sat first, and when I sat as a
king, with his army standing about him, yet I was a comforter of them
that mourned.