1. Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said,
2. Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3. When his lamp shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
4. As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tent;
5. When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6. When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7. When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the open square!
8. The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
9. The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11. When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
12. Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him 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 put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my justice was as a robe and a turban.
15. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
16. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
17. And I broke the fangs of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18. Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19. My root was spread out to the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
20. My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
21. Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at 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 mocked 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 like a king in the army, as one that comforts the mourners.