Parallel
Job 29
Brenton's English Septuagint · Berean Standard Bible
Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.
when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness,
[As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.
when I was in my prime (note: Hebrew in the time of my harvest), when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;
when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.
when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.
When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.
the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet.
And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.
The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.
For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me,
For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.
because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper.
Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yea, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.
The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgment like a mantle.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.
I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.
I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
And I broke the jaw-teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.
I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth.
And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm-tree; I shall live a long while.
So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand.
[My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.
My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches.
My glory was fresh in me, and my bow prospered in his hand.
My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’
[Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.
Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.
At my word they spoke not again, and they were very glad whenever I spoke to them.
After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.
They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers.
Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.
If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious.
I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.
I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.