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Job Tells of His Past Days

¹ Then Job spoke again and said, ² "If only I could be now as I was in the months past when God watched over me! ³ His lamp shined over my head then and by His light I walked through darkness. ⁴ Those days were my best days when God was my friend watching over my tent. ⁵ The All-powerful was still with me, and my children were around me. ⁶ My path was washed with milk, and the rock poured out rivers of oil for me. ⁷ When I went to the city gate and took my place with the leaders of the city, ⁸ the young men saw me and let me go by. The old men rose and stood. ⁹ The leaders stopped talking, and put their hands on their mouths. ¹⁰ The voices of the rulers were quiet. Their tongues held to the roof of their mouths. ¹¹ Those who heard me, honored me. Those who saw me, respected me, ¹² because I helped the poor man when he cried for help and the child without parents who had no one to help him. ¹³ Good came to me from the man who was dying. And I made the heart of the woman whose husband had died sing for joy. ¹⁴ I put on what was right and good, and it clothed me. The right things done were my coat and head-covering. ¹⁵ I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the man who could not walk. ¹⁶ I was a father to those in need. And I helped those I did not know who had a need. ¹⁷ I broke the jaws of the sinful, and took from their teeth what they had taken. ¹⁸ Then I thought, ‘I will die in my nest. My days will be as many as the sand. ¹⁹ My roots go to the water. As the water is on the grass in the early morning, it will be all night on my branches. ²⁰ My honor is always new to me, and my bow is new in my hand.'

²¹ "Men listened to me and waited. They were quiet so they could hear my words of wisdom. ²² After I spoke, they did not speak again. My words stayed with them. ²³ They waited for me as for rain. And they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. ²⁴ I looked at them with joy when they were not sure of themselves, and the light of my face gave them comfort. ²⁵ I decided the way for them and sat as their leader. I lived as a king among his army, and like one who gives comfort to those in sorrow.