1Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:

2O that I were as in months past, In the days when God was my guardian;

3When his lamp shined over my head, And when by his light I walked through darkness!

4As I was in the autumn of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;

5When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;

6When I bathed my steps in milk, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

7When I went forth to the gate by the city, And took my seat in the market-place,

8The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged arose and stood.

9The princes refrained from speaking, And laid their hand upon their mouth.

10The nobles held their peace, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

11When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.

12For I delivered the poor, when they cried; And the fatherless, who had none to help him.

13The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, And I caused the heart of the widow to sing for joy.

14I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; And justice was my robe and diadem.

15I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame;

16I was a father to the poor, And the cause of him I knew not I searched out;

17And I broke the teeth of the wicked, And plucked the spoil from his jaws.

18Then said I, “I shall die in my nest; I shall multiply my days as the sand.

19My root is spread abroad to the waters, And the dew abideth on my branches.

20My glory is fresh with me, And my bow gathereth strength in my hand.”

21To me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.

22To my words they made no reply, When my speech dropped down upon them.

23Yea, they waited for me as for the rain; They opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.

24If I smiled upon them, they believed it not; Nor did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.

25When I came among them, I sat as chief; I dwelt as a king in the midst of an army, As a comforter among mourners.