Job 29:1-16 ▼

1 And Job again took up his parable, 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 shined upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness;

4 As I was in the ripeness of my days, when the secret of God was upon my tent;

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

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

7 When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the street,

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

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

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

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

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

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

14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my justice was as a robe and a diadem.

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

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