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 on my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;

4 As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was on 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 streams of oil!

7 When I went forth to the gate to 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 from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;

10 The voice of the leaders was hushed, And their tongue stuck 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 to me:

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

13 The blessing of him who 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 I was feet to the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy: And the cause of him who I didn't know I searched out.

17 And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.

18 Then I said, I will die in my nest, And I will multiply my days as the sand:

19 My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch;

20 My glory is fresh in me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.

21 To me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silent for my counsel.

22 After my words they did not speak again; And my speech distilled on them.

23 And they waited for me as for the rain; And they opened their mouth wide [as] for the latter rain.

24 I smiled on them, when they had no confidence; And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.

25 I chose out their way, and sat [as] chief, And stayed as a king in the army, As one who comforts the mourners.