| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Then Job continued his speech: | 1And Job again took up his discourse and said, |
| 2"O that I could be as I was in the months now gone, in the days when God watched over me, | 2"Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; |
| 3when he caused his lamp to shine upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness; | 3When His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness; |
| 4just as I was in my most productive time, when God's intimate friendship was experienced in my tent, | 4As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent; |
| 5when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me; | 5When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me; |
| 6when my steps were bathed with butter and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil! | 6When my steps were bathed in butter, And the rock poured out for me streams of oil! |
| 7When I went out to the city gate and secured my seat in the public square, | 7"When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square, |
| 8the young men would see me and step aside, and the old men would get up and remain standing; | 8The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood. |
| 9the chief men refrained from talking and covered their mouths with their hands; | 9"The princes stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths; |
| 10the voices of the nobles fell silent, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. | 10The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to their palate. |
| 11"As soon as the ear heard these things, it blessed me, and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me, | 11"For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me, |
| 12for I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the orphan who had no one to assist him; | 12Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper. |
| 13the blessing of the dying man descended on me, and I made the widow's heart rejoice; | 13"The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow's heart sing for joy. |
| 14I put on righteousness and it clothed me, my just dealing was like a robe and a turban; | 14"I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. |
| 15I was eyes for the blind and feet for the lame; | 15"I was eyes to the blind And feet to the lame. |
| 16I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case of the person I did not know; | 16"I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know. |
| 17I broke the fangs of the wicked, and made him drop his prey from his teeth. | 17"I broke the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth. |
| 18"Then I thought, 'I will die in my own home, my days as numerous as the grains of sand. | 18"Then I thought, 'I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand. |
| 19My roots reach the water, and the dew lies on my branches all night long. | 19'My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies all night on my branch. |
| 20My glory will always be fresh in me, and my bow ever new in my hand.' | 20My glory is ever new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.' |
| 21"People listened to me and waited silently; they kept silent for my advice. | 21"To me they listened and waited, And kept silent for my counsel. |
| 22After I had spoken, they did not respond; my words fell on them drop by drop. | 22"After my words they did not speak again, And my speech dropped on them. |
| 23They waited for me as people wait for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rains. | 23"They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouth as for the spring rain. |
| 24If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it; and they did not cause the light of my face to darken. | 24"I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down. |
| 25I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I lived like a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners. | 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. |
| NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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