29:1
And Job continued his solemn discourse. He said:
29:2
Will no one bring back to me the months that have gone, and the days when God was my guardian,
29:3
when his lamp shone over my head, and his light was my guide in the darkness?
29:4
Shall I ever see my days of harvest again when God protected my tent;
29:5
when Shaddai still dwelt with me, and my children were around me;
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when my feet were bathed in milk, and streams of oil poured from the rocks?
29:7
When I went out to the gate of the city, when I took my seat in the square,
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as soon as I appeared, the young men stepped aside, and the old men rose to their feet.
29:9
Men of note broke off their speeches, and put their hands over their mouths;
29:10
the voices of rulers were silenced, and their tongues stayed still in their mouths.
29:11
On hearing me, people congratulated me, on seeing me, people deferred to me,
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because I freed the poor in distress and the orphan who had no helper.
29:13
The dying man's blessing rested on me and I gave the widow's heart cause to rejoice.
29:14
Uprightness I wore as a garment, fair judgement was my cloak and my turban.
29:15
I was eyes for the blind, and feet for the lame.
29:16
Who but me was father of the poor? The stranger's case had a hearing from me.
29:17
I used to break the fangs of the wicked, and snatch their prey from their jaws.
29:18
And I used to say, 'I shall die in honour, after days as numerous as the sand.
29:19
My roots can reach the water, the dews of night settle on my leaves.
29:20
My glory will be for ever new and the bow in my hand for ever strong.'
29:21
They waited anxiously to hear me, and listened in silence to what I had to say.
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When I had finished, no one contradicted, my words dropping on them, one by one.
29:23
They waited for me as though for rain, open-mouthed as though for a late shower.
29:24
If I smiled at them, it was too good to be true, they watched my face for the least sign of favour.
29:25
As their chief, I told them which course to take, like a king living among his troops, and I led them wherever I chose.
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