[1] And Job again took up his discourse and said,
[2] “Oh that I were as in months gone by, 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] As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;
[5] When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
[6] When my steps were bathed in butter, 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 hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood.
[9] The princes stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths;
[10] The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to their palate.
[11] For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,
[12] Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper.
[13] The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow's heart 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 investigated the case which I did not know.
[17] I broke the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth.
[18] Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand.
[19] My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies all night on my branch.
[20] My glory is ever new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’
[21] To me they listened and waited, And kept silent for my counsel.
[22] After my words they did not speak again, And my speech dropped on them.
[23] They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouth as for the spring rain.
[24] I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down.
[25] I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners.”