2.2 KiB
Job's Summary Defense
Chapter 29
-
And Job again took up his discourse, and said:
-
"Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,
-
when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
-
as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent,
-
when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were all around me,
-
when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
-
When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square,
-
the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose and stood;
-
the princes refrained from talking and laid their hand on their mouth;
-
the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
-
When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved,
-
because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him.
-
The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
-
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban.
-
I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
-
I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
-
I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
-
Then I thought, 'I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand,
-
my roots spread out to the waters, with the dew all night on my branches,
-
my glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.'
-
"Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel.
-
After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them.
-
They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.
-
I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down.
-
I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners.