Job 29:1-25 - Job's Final Defense

¹ And Job again took up his discussion 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 the prime of my days,
When the friendship and counsel of God were over my tent,
⁵
When the Almighty was still with me
And my boys were around me,
⁶
When my steps [through rich pastures] were washed with butter and cream [from my livestock],
And the rock poured out for me streams of oil [from my olive groves].

⁷
“When I went out to the gate of the city,
When I took my seat [as a city father] in the square,
⁸
The young men saw me and hid themselves,
The aged arose and stood [respectfully];
⁹
The princes stopped talking
And put their hands on their mouths;
¹⁰
The voices of the nobles were hushed,
And their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
¹¹
“For when an ear heard [my name mentioned], it called me happy and fortunate;
And when an eye saw [me], it testified for me [approvingly],
¹²
Because I rescued the poor who cried for help,
And the orphan who had no helper.
¹³
“The blessing of him who was about 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 I was feet to the lame.
¹⁶
“I was a father to the needy;
I investigated the case I did not know [and assured justice].
¹⁷
“And I smashed the jaws of the wicked
And snatched the prey from his teeth.

¹⁸
“Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest,
And I shall multiply my days as the sand.
¹⁹
‘My root is spread out and open to the waters,
And the dew lies all night upon my branch.
²⁰
‘My glory and honor are fresh in me [being constantly renewed],
And my bow gains [ever] new strength in my hand.’

²¹
“They listened to me and waited
And kept silent for my counsel.
²²
“After I spoke, they did not speak again,
And my speech dropped upon them [like a refreshing shower].
²³
“They waited for me [and for my words] as for the rain,
And they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
²⁴
“I smiled at them when they did not believe,
And they did not diminish the light of my face.
²⁵
“I chose a way for them and sat as chief,
And dwelt as a king among his soldiers,
As one who comforts mourners.