1Job went on with his speech, and said,
2"If only I were as I was in months gone by, in the days when God watched over me;"
3when his lamp shone above my head, and by his light I walked through the darkness;
4as I was in the days of my youth, when the friendship of God rested on my tent;
5when the Almighty was still with me, and my children were all around me;
6when I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured out for me rivers of oil;
7when I went out through the city to the gate, and set up my seat in the open square.
8The young men saw me and hid themselves. The old men rose and stood up.
9The princes stopped talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10The nobles kept quiet, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11When the ear heard me, it called me blessed. When the eye saw me, it spoke well of me.
12For I rescued the poor man who cried out, and the fatherless child, and the one who had no one to help him.
13The blessing of the man who was about to die came upon me. I made the widow's heart sing for joy.
14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was like a robe and a crown.
15I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the lame.
16I was a father to the poor, and I looked into the case of the stranger.
17I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and pulled what he had stolen out of his teeth.
18Then I said, 'I shall die in my nest, and my days will be as many as the sand.'
19My root was spread out to the waters, and the dew lay all night on my branch.
20My glory stayed fresh in me, and my bow was made new in my hand.
21Men listened to me, and waited, and kept silent for my advice.
22After I had spoken, they said no more. My words fell gently on them.
23They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.
24If I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it, and they did not let the light of my face fall.
25I chose the way for them, and sat as their chief. I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts those who mourn.