Job's Former Blessings

1Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2Oh that I were as [in] months past, as [in] the days [when] God preserved me;

3When his candle shined upon my head, [and when] by his light I walked [through] darkness;

4As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God [was] upon my tabernacle;

5When the Almighty [was] yet with me, [when] my children [were] about me;

6When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

7When I went out to the gate through the city, [when] I prepared my seat in the street!

8The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, [and] stood up.

9The princes refrained talking, and laid [their] hand on 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:

12Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and [him that had] none to help him.

13The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment [was] as a robe and a diadem.

15I was eyes to the blind, and feet [was] I to the lame.

16I [was] a father to the poor: and the cause [which] I knew not I searched out.

17And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

18Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply [my] days as the sand.

19My root [was] spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

20My glory [was] fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

21Unto me [men] gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

22After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

23And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide [as] for the latter rain.

24[If] I laughed on them, they believed [it] not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

25I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one [that] comforteth the mourners.