| 29:1 | Job's Summary DefenseJob Speaks of Past Wealth Job further continued his discourse, and said: |
| 29:2 | Oh, that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over me; |
| 29:3 | When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness; |
| 29:4 | Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent; |
| 29:5 | When the Almighty was yet with me, When my children were around me; |
| 29:6 | When my steps were bathed with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me! |
| 29:7 | When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square, |
| 29:8 | The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood; |
| 29:9 | The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth; |
| 29:10 | The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. |
| 29:11 | When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me; |
| 29:12 | Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper. |
| 29:13 | The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. |
| 29:14 | I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. |
| 29:15 | I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame. |
| 29:16 | I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know. |
| 29:17 | I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth. |
| 29:18 | Then I said, I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand. |
| 29:19 | My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch. |
| 29:20 | My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.' |
| 29:21 | Men listened to me and waited, And kept silence for my counsel. |
| 29:22 | After my words they did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew. |
| 29:23 | They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain. |
| 29:24 | If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down. |
| 29:25 | I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts mourners. |