# Job 29 (New King James Version)
Job's Summary Defense

##### Chapter 29
###### 1 Job further continued his discourse, and said:

###### 2 "Oh, that I were as _in_ months past,  
As _in_ the days _when_ God watched over me;  

###### 3 When His lamp shone upon my head,  
_And when_ by His light I walked _through_ darkness;  

###### 4 Just as I was in the days of my prime,  
When the friendly counsel of God _was_ over my tent;  

###### 5 When the Almighty _was_ yet with me,  
_When_ my children _were_ around me;  

###### 6 When my steps were bathed with cream,  
And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!

###### 7 "When I went out to the gate by the city,  
_When_ I took my seat in the open square,  

###### 8 The young men saw me and hid,  
And the aged arose _and_ stood;  

###### 9 The princes refrained from talking,  
And put _their_ hand on their mouth;  

###### 10 The voice of nobles was hushed,  
And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.  

###### 11 When the ear heard, then it blessed me,  
And when the eye saw, then it approved me;  

###### 12 Because I delivered the poor who cried out,  
The fatherless and _the one who_ had no helper.  

###### 13 The blessing of a perishing _man_ 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_ like a robe and a turban.  

###### 15 I _was_ eyes to the blind,  
And I _was_ feet to the lame.  

###### 16 I _was_ a father to the poor,  
And I searched out the case _that_ I did not know.  

###### 17 I broke the fangs of the wicked,  
And plucked the victim from his teeth.

###### 18 "Then I said, 'I shall die in my nest,  
And 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 within me,  
And my bow is renewed in my hand.'

###### 21 "_Men_ listened to me and waited,  
And kept silence for my counsel.  

###### 22 After my words they did not speak again,  
And my speech settled on them _as dew._  

###### 23 They waited for me _as_ for the rain,  
And they opened their mouth wide _as_ for the spring rain.  

###### 24 _If_ I mocked at them, they did not believe _it,_  
And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.  

###### 25 I chose the way for them, and sat as chief;  
So I dwelt as a king in the army,  
As one _who_ comforts mourners.