1Job again took up his parable, and said,
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2“Oh that I were as in the months of old,
- as in the days when God watched over me;
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3when his lamp shone on my head,
- and by his light I walked through darkness,
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4as I was in the ripeness of my days,
- when the friendship of God was in my tent,
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5when the Almighty was yet with me,
- and my children were around me,
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6when my steps were washed with butter,
- and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
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7when I went forth to the city gate,
- when I prepared my seat in the street.
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8The young men saw me and hid themselves.
- The aged rose up and stood.
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9The princes refrained from talking,
- and laid their hand on their mouth.
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10The voice of the nobles was hushed,
- and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
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11For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me;
- and when the eye saw me, it commended me:
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12Because I delivered the poor who cried,
- and the fatherless also, who had none to help him,
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13the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me,
- and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
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14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me.
- My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
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15I was eyes to the blind,
- and feet to the lame.
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16I was a father to the needy.
- The cause of him who I didn’t know, I searched out.
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17I broke the jaws of the unrighteous,
- and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
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18Then I said, ‘I shall die in my own house,
- I shall number my days as the sand.
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19My root is spread out to the waters.
- The dew lies all night on my branch.
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20My glory is fresh in me.
- My bow is renewed in my hand.’
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21“Men listened to me, waited,
- and kept silence for my counsel.
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22After my words they didn’t speak again.
- My speech fell on them.
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23They waited for me as for the rain.
- Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
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24I smiled on them when they had no confidence.
- They didn’t reject the light of my face.
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25I chose out their way, and sat as chief.
- I lived as a king in the army,
- as one who comforts the mourners.