Job's Former Blessings

1Job also added, taking up his parable, and said:

2Who will grant me, that I might be according to the months past, according to the days in which God kept me?

3When his lamp shined over my head, and I walked by his light in darkness?

4As I was in the days of my youth, when God was secretly in my tabernacle?

5When the Almighty was with me: and my servants round about me?

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

7When I went out to the gate of the city, and in the street they prepared me a chair?

8The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the old men rose up and stood.

9The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.

10The rulers held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to their throat.

11The ear that heard me blessed me, and the eye that saw me gave witness to me:

12Because I had delivered the poor man that cried out; and the fatherless that had no helper.

13The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow.

14I was clad with justice: and I clothed myself with my judgment, as with a robe and a diadem.

15I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame.

16I was the father of the poor: and the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently.

17I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey.

18And I said: I shall die in my nest, and as a palm tree shall multiply my days.

19My root is opened beside the waters, and dew shall continue in my harvest.

20My glory shall always be renewed, and my bow in my hand shall be repaired.

21They that heard me, waited for my sentence, and being attentive held their peace at my counsel.

22To my words they durst add nothing, and my speech dropped upon them.

23They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for a latter shower.

24If at any time I laughed on them, they believed not, and the light of my countenance fell not on earth.

25If I had a mind to go to them, I sat first, and when I sat as a king, with his army standing about him, yet I was a comforter of them that mourned.