1Job resumed speaking and said,

2“Oh, that I were as I was in the past months
when God cared for me,

3when his lamp shined on my head,
and when I walked through darkness by his light.

4Oh, that I were as I was in the ripeness of my days
when the friendship of God was on my tent,

5when the Almighty was yet with me,
and my children were around me,

6when my way was covered with cream,
and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

7When I went out to the city gate,
when I sat in my place in the city square,

8the young men saw me and kept their distance from me in respect,
and the aged people rose and stood for me.

9The princes used to refrain from talking when I came;
they would lay their hand on their mouths.

10The voices of the noblemen were hushed,
and their tongue clung to the roof of their mouths.

11For after their ears heard me, they would then bless me;
after their eyes saw me, they would then give witness to me and approve of me

12because I rescued the one who was poor when he cried out,
and the one who had no father when he had no one to help him.

13The blessing of him who was about to perish came on me;
I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
my justice was like a robe and a turban.

15I was eyes to blind people;
I was feet to lame people.

16I was a father to needy people;
I would examine the case even of one whom I did not know.

17I broke the jaws of the unrighteous man;
I plucked the victim out from between his teeth.

18Then I said, 'I will die in my nest;
I will multiply my days like the grains of sand.

19My roots are spread out to the waters,
and dew lies all night on my branches.

20The honor in me is always fresh,
and the bow of my strength is always new in my hand.'

21To me men listened; they waited for me;
they stayed silent to hear my advice.

22After my words were done, they did not speak again;
my speech dropped like water on them.

23They always waited for me as they waited for rain;
they opened their mouth wide to drink in my words,
as they would do for the latter rain.

24I smiled on them when they did not expect it;
they did not reject the light of my face.

25I selected their way and sat as their chief;
I lived like a king in his army,
like one who comforts mourners.