Job Continues His Parable About the Past |
Job 29:1-25 Book of Job [in Smaller Chunks] |
Job [also] continued his parable & said, Oh, [if only] I were [like] in the [previous] months, [like during] the days when God [kept me safe.] When [God’s] candle shined upon my head & when I walked through darkness by His light. |
[Like] I was [during] the days of my youth, when the secret [ways] of God was upon my [tent.] When the Almighty was [still] with me & when my children were [still around] me. |
[Like] when I [was prosperous] & I washed my steps with butter & the rock poured out rivers of oil [to] me. When I went through the city, out to the gate, when I prepared my seat [on] the street! |
The young men saw me & hid themselves & the aged arose & stood up [in respect.] The princes, [a.k.a. rulers, held back] from talking & [covered] their mouth [with] their hand. The nobles held their peace & their tongue [stuck] to the roof of their mouth. |
When [their ears listened to] me, then [I was] blessed. And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: because I delivered the poor [who] cried [out,] the fatherless & [those who] had [no one] to help [them.] |
[Those who] were ready to perish [blessed] me. And I [made] the widow's heart sing with joy. I put on righteousness & it clothed me. My [justice] was [like] a robe & a [crown.] [Psalm 23:3 [The Lord] restores my oil. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake.] |
I was [like] eyes [for] the blind & I was [like] feet [for] the lame. I was [like] a father to the poor & I [researched] the cause [that] I [didn’t] know. [Proverbs 29:7 The righteous consider the cause of the poor; but the wicked [acted like] they didn't know [about] it.] |
And I [broke] the jaws of the wicked & [snacked the plunder] out of his teeth. Then, I said, I shall die in my nest & I shall multiply my days [like] the [amount of] sand. |
My root was spread out by the waters & the dew lay all night upon my branch. My glory was fresh [within] me & my bow was renewed [within] my hand. |
[Job 49:24 But his bow abode in strength & the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from Whom is the Shepherd, the [Rock] of Israel.)] |
Men [listened] to me & waited & kept [silent for] my [advice.] After my words, they [didn't speak] again. And [what I said dawned] upon them. And they waited for me [like they do] for rain & they opened their [mouths] wide as [if to catch some of] the [spring] rain. |
If I laughed [at] them, they [didn't] believe it. They [didn't look] down on the light of my face. I [helped choose] their [path] & sat [as a leader] & [lived like] a king in the army, [like someone who] comforts the mourners. |