Job Recalls His Former Glory

291 And Job again took up his discourse and said , 2 "Oh e that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; 3 When His lamp shone over my head , And by His light I walked through darkness ; 4 As I was in the prime of my days , When the friendship of God was over my tent ; 5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me; 6 When my steps were bathed in butter , And the rock poured out for me streams of oil !

7 "When I went out to the gate of the city , When I took my seat in the square , 8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood . 9 "The princes stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths ; 10 The voice of the nobles was hushed , And their tongue stuck to their palate . 11 "For when the ear heard , it called me blessed , And when the eye saw , it gave witness of me, 12 Because I delivered the poor who cried for help , And the orphan who had no helper . 13 "The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, And I made the widow's heart sing for joy . 14 "I put on righteousness , and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban . 15 "I was eyes to the blind And feet to the lame . 16 "I was a father to the needy , And I investigated the case which I did not know . 17 "I broke the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth .

18 "Then I thought , 'I shall die in my nest , And I shall multiply my days as the sand . 19 'My root is spread out to the waters , And dew lies all night on my branch . 20 'My glory is ever new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand .' 21 "To me they listened and waited , And kept silent for my counsel . 22 "After my words they did not speak again , And my speech dropped on them. 23 "They waited for me as for the rain , And opened their mouth as for the spring rain . 24 "I smiled on them when they did not believe , And the light of my face they did not cast down . 25 "I chose a way for them and sat as chief , And dwelt as a king among the troops , As one who comforted the mourners .

Job Bewails His Present Affliction

301 "But now those younger than I mock me, Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock . 2 "Indeed , what good was the strength of their hands to me? Vigor had perished from them. 3 "From want and famine they are gaunt Who gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation , 4 Who pluck mallow by the bushes , And whose food is the root of the broom shrub . 5 "They are driven from the community ; They shout against them as against a thief , 6 So that they dwell in dreadful valleys , In holes of the earth and of the rocks . 7 "Among the bushes they cry out; Under the nettles they are gathered together . 8 "Fools e , even those without a name , They were scourged from the land . 9 "And now I have become their taunt , I have even become a byword to them. 10 "They abhor me and stand aloof from me, And they do not refrain from spitting at my face . 11 "Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me, They have cast off the bridle before e me. 12 "On the right hand their brood arises ; They thrust aside my feet and build up against me their ways of destruction . 13 "They break up my path , They profit from my destruction ; No one restrains them. 14 "As through a wide breach they come , Amid the tempest they roll on.

15 " Terrors are turned against me; They pursue my honor as the wind , And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud . 16 "And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have seized me. 17 "At night it pierces my bones within e me, And my gnawing pains take no rest . 18 "By a great force my garment is distorted ; It binds me about as the collar of my coat . 19 "He has cast me into the mire , And I have become like dust and ashes . 20 "I cry out to You for help , but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me. 21 "You have become cruel to me; With the might of Your hand You persecute me. 22 "You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride ; And You dissolve me in a storm . 23 "For I know that You will bring me to death And to the house of meeting for all living . 24 "Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand , Or in his disaster therefore cry out for help ? 25 "Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard ? Was not my soul grieved for the needy ? 26 "When I expected good , then evil came ; When I waited for light , then darkness came . 27 "I am seething within and cannot relax ; Days of affliction confront me. 28 "I go about mourning without comfort; I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help . 29 "I have become a brother to jackals And a companion of ostriches e . 30 "My skin turns black on me, And my bones burn with fever . 31 "Therefore my harp is turned to mourning , And my flute to the sound of those who weep .

Job Asserts His Integrity

311 "I have made a covenant with my eyes ; How then could I gaze at a virgin ? 2 "And what is the portion of God from above Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high ? 3 "Is it not calamity to the unjust And disaster to those who work iniquity ? 4 "Does He not see my ways And number all my steps ? 5 "If I have walked with falsehood , And my foot has hastened after deceit , 6 Let Him weigh me with accurate scales , And let God know my integrity . 7 "If my step has turned from the way , Or my heart followed e my eyes , Or if any spot has stuck to my hands , 8 Let me sow and another eat , And let my crops be uprooted .

9 "If my heart has been enticed by a woman , Or I have lurked at my neighbor's doorway , 10 May my wife grind for another , And let others kneel down over her. 11 "For that would be a lustful crime ; Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges . 12 "For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon , And would uproot all my increase . 13 "If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves e When they filed a complaint against me, 14 What then could I do when God arises ? And when He calls me to account , what will I answer Him? 15 "Did not He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb ?

16 "If I have kept the poor from their desire , Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail , 17 Or have eaten my morsel alone , And the orphan has not shared e it 18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father , And from infancy e I guided her), 19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing , Or that the needy had no covering , 20 If his loins have not thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep , 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan , Because I saw I had support in the gate , 22 Let my shoulder fall from the socket , And my arm be broken off at the elbow . 23 "For calamity from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty I can do nothing .

24 "If I have put my confidence in gold , And called fine gold my trust , 25 If I have gloated because my wealth was great , And because my hand had secured so much ; 26 If I have looked at the sun when it shone Or the moon going in splendor , 27 And my heart became secretly enticed , And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth , 28 That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment , For I would have denied God above e . 29 "Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy , Or exulted when evil befell him? 30 "No , I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in a curse . 31 "Have the men of my tent not said , 'Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat '? 32 "The alien has not lodged outside , For I have opened my doors to the traveler .

33 "Have I covered my transgressions like Adam , By hiding my iniquity in my bosom , 34 Because I feared the great multitude , And the contempt of families terrified me, And kept silent and did not go out of doors ? 35 "Oh e that I had one to hear me! Behold , here is my signature ; Let the Almighty answer me! And the indictment which my adversary has written , 36 Surely e I would carry it on my shoulder , I would bind it to myself like a crown . 37 "I would declare to Him the number of my steps ; Like a prince I would approach Him. 38 "If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together ; 39 If I have eaten its fruit without money , Or have caused its owners to lose their lives , 40 Let briars grow instead of wheat , And stinkweed instead of barley ." The words of Job are ended .