CLV(i)
1 Then Job continued to lift up his discourse and said:
2 O that I were as in former months, As in the days when He, Eloah was guarding me,
3 When He caused His lamp to irradiate over my head, And by His light I went through the darkness,
4 Just as I was in the days of my autumn, When the deliberation of Eloah watched over my tent,
5 When He Who Suffices was still with me, And my lads were around me,
6 When my goings were washed in clotted cream, And the rock poured out for me rillets of oil.
7 When I went forth to the gate standing over the town And prepared my seat in the square,
8 The youths would see me and hide themselves, While the hoary-headed would rise and stand.
9 The chiefs would restrain their declarations And place the palm over their mouth;
10 The voices of the noblemen were hidden back, And their tongue would cling to their palate.
11 When the ear heard, it called me happy, And when the eye saw, it testified in my favor.
12 For I made a way of escape for the humble who implored, And the orphan and him who had no helper.
13 The blessing of the one perishing came on me, And I caused the heart of the widow to jubilate.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My right judgment was as a robe and a turban.
15 I became eyes to the blind, And feet to the lame was I.
16 I was father to the needy ones, And the contention of him I knew not, I would investigate it.
17 I would break the fangs of the iniquitous And would fling the prey from his teeth.
18 And so I would say:I shall expire in old age, And I shall have many days as the sand;"
19 My root is open to the water, And the night mist lodges on my harvest branch;"
20 My glory will keep new within me, And my bow shall rejuvenate in my hand.
21 Noblemen hearkened to me, and they waited; They would remain silent for my counsel.
22 After my speech they would not alter it, And my declaration dropped firmly on them.
23 They waited for me as for rain, And they gaped with their mouth as for the latter rain.
24 I would uplift them when they were not sure, And the light of my countenance they would not cast down.
25 I would choose the way for them and would sit as their head, And I would tabernacle like a king among his regiment, Just as one who comforts mourners.