29:1 And Job again took up his discourse, and said: 29:2 "Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me, 29:3 when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness, 29:4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent, 29:5 when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were all around me, 29:6 when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil! 29:7 When I went out to the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square, 29:8 the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose and stood; 29:9 the princes refrained from talking and laid their hand on their mouth; 29:10 the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. 29:11 When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved, 29:12 because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him. 29:13 The blessing of him who was about to perish 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 feet to the lame. 29:16 I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. 29:17 I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth. 29:18 Then I thought, 'I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand, 29:19 my roots spread out to the waters, with the dew all night on my branches, 29:20 my glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.' 29:21 "Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. 29:22 After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them. 29:23 They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. 29:24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down. 29:25 I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners.