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| [1]And Job again took up his parable, and said: |
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| [2]Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me; |
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| [3]When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness; |
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| [4]As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse of God was upon my tent; |
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| [5]When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me; |
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| [6]When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil! |
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| [7]When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the broad place, |
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| [8]The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood; |
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| [9]The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth; |
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| [10]The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. |
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| [11]For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me; |
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| [12]Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him. |
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| [13]The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. |
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| [14]I pu righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; my justice was as a robe and a diadem. |
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| [15]I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. |
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| [16]I was a father to the needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out. |
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| [17]And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth. |
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| [18]Then I said: 'I shall die with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix; |
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| [19]My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew shall lie all night upon my branch; |
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| [20]My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow shall be renewed in my hand.' |
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| [21]Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel. |
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| [22]After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them. |
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| [23]And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. |
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| [24]If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. |
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| [25]I chose out their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners. |
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