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¹ MOREOVER Job continued his parable, and said,² O that I were as in months past, as in the days when God took care of me;³ When he put his worship high upon my head, when his lamp shone over me; and when by his light I walked through darkness.⁴ O, that I were as in the days when I was in favor, when God abode in my tabernacle;⁵ When the Almighty was yet round about me in my youth;⁶ When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

⁷ When I went out to the gate of the city and called on the people; and sat down like a poor man in the street,⁸ The young men saw me and hid themselves; and the aged arose, and respected me.⁹ The nobles held their peace, and laid their hands on their mouth.¹⁰ The voice of the princes was restrained, and their tongues cleaved to the roof of their mouth.¹¹ For when the ear heard me, then it praised me; and when the eye saw me, it gave testimony about me;¹² Because I delivered the poor out of distress, and the fatherless who had none to help him.¹³ The blessing of him who was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widows heart to rejoice.¹⁴ I put on righteousness, and it clothed me like a robe and diadem of justice.¹⁵ I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.¹⁶ I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched out.¹⁷ And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and snatched the prey out of his teeth.

¹⁸ Then I said, I shall become straight like a reed, I shall deliver the poor and multiply my days like the sand of the seas.¹⁹ My roots are planted by the waters, and the dew lies all night upon my boughs, and at the harvest season I shall be invited to the feast.²⁰ I shall take my bow with me, and renew it in my hand.²¹ Men listened to me, and waited, and hearkened to my counsel.²² And from my words they departed not, and my speech was pleasing to them.²³ They waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouths wide as for the spring rain.²⁴ If I ridiculed them, they did not take offense; and they did not turn from the light of my countenance.²⁵ I searched out their ways, and then returned and dwelt as a king in his army, like one who comforts the mourners.