Hebrew Bible

And Job again took up his parable, and said:

Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness;

As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse of God was upon my tent;

When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me;

When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the broad place,

The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood;

The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;

The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me;

Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

I put on righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; my justice was as a robe and a diadem.

I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

I was a father to the needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

Then I said: 'I shall die with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix;

My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew shall lie all night upon my branch;

My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow shall be renewed in my hand.'

Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

I chose out their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.