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The Book of Job

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- Chapter 29 -

Job's summary defense

1
Job also added to this, using figures of speech, and he said:
2
Who will grant to me that I might be as I was in former months, according to the days when God kept watch over me?
3
At that time, his lamp shined over my head, and by his light, I walked through the darkness.
4
I was then just as in the days of my youth, when God was privately in my tabernacle.
5
At that time, the Almighty was with me and my children surrounded me.
6
Then, I washed my feet with butter, and a boulder poured out rivers of oil for me.
7
When I went to the gate of the city, or to the main street, they prepared a chair for me.
8
The youths saw me and hid themselves, and the elders, rising up, remained standing.(a)
9
The leaders stopped talking, and they placed a finder over their mouth.
10
The commanders subdued their voice, and their tongue adhered to their throat.(b)
11
The ear that heard me, blessed me, and the eye that saw me, gave testimony for me.
12
This was because I had freed the poor, who cried out, and the orphan, who had no helper.
13
The blessing of him who would have been destroyed came upon me, and I consoled the heart of the widow.
14
I put on justice, and I clothed myself with my judgment, like a robe and a diadem.
15
I was an eye for the blind and a foot for the lame.
16
I was the father of the poor; and if I lacked knowledge about any case, I investigated very diligently.
17
I crushed the jaws of the impious, and I took away prey from his teeth.
18
And I said, “I will die in my little nest, and like a palm tree, I will multiply my days.
19
My root has been spread beside the waters, and the dew will remain with my harvest.
20
My glory will always be restored, and my bow will be restored to my hand.”
21
Those who heard me, expected vindication, and they listened closely in silence to my counsel.
22
To my words, they dared to add nothing, and my eloquence poured over them.
23
They waited for me as for rain, and they opened their mouth as for belated rains.
24
If I had ever laughed at them, they would not have believed it, and the light of my face was not cast down towards the ground.
25
If I wished to go to them, I sat down first, and, though I sat like a king surrounded by an army, yet I was a comforter to those who mourned.

Footnotes

(a)29:8 The verb ‘stabant’ in Latin does not have the same range of meaning as the verb ‘to stand’ in English. The Latin has more of a connotation of ‘remaining’ or ‘standing firm’ or ‘standing still’ or even of ‘withstanding’ something.(Conte)
(b)29:10 Notice that the civilian leaders, ‘principes,’ are silent, but the military leaders, ‘duces,’ speak with a subdued voice. These two words both refer to some type of leader, but the word ‘dux’ has more of a military connotation.(Conte)

Job's summary defense

1
Job again took up his parable, and said,
2
“Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;
3
when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
4
as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
5
when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
6
when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
7
when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street.
8
The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood.
9
The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
10
The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11
For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it commended me,
12
because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
13
the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
15
I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
16
I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know.
17
I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.
18
Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.
19
My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch.
20
My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’
21
“Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel.
22
After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
23
They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
24
I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face.
25
I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
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