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[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 above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness;
[4]As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse 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 broad place,
[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 pu righteousness, and it clothed itself with 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.
[17]And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
[18]Then I said: 'I shall die with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix;
[19]My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew shall lie all night upon my branch;
[20]My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow shall be renewed in my hand.'
[21]Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
[22]After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
[23]And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
[24]If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
[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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