Job’s Summary Defense
1 Job further continued his discourse, and said:
2 “Oh, that I were asinmonthspast,
# Asinthe dayswhenGodwatched over me;
3 When His lamp shone upon my head,
Andwhenby His light I walkedthroughdarkness;
4 Just as I was in the days of my prime,
# Whenthe friendly counsel of Godwasover my tent;
5 When the Almightywasyet with me,
Whenmy childrenwerearound me;
6 Whenmy steps were bathed with cream,
# Andthe rock poured out rivers of oil for me!
7 “When I went out to the gate by the city,
WhenI took my seat in the open square,
8 The young men saw me and hid,
And the aged aroseandstood;
9 The princes refrained from talking,
# Andputtheirhand on their mouth;
10 The voice of nobles was hushed,
# And theirtongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard, then it blessed me,
And when the eye saw, then it approved me;
12 BecauseI delivered the poor who cried out,
The fatherless andtheonewhohad no helper.
13 The blessing of a perishingmancame upon me,
And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justicewaslike a robe and a turban.
15 Iwaseyes to the blind,
And Iwasfeet to the lame.
16 Iwasa father to the poor,
# AndI searched out the casethatI did not know.
17 I brokethe fangs of the wicked,
And plucked the victim from his teeth.
18 “Then I said,‘I shall die in my nest,
And multiplymydays as the sand.
19 My rootisspread outto the waters,
And the dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My gloryisfresh within me,
# And mybow is renewed in my hand.’
21 “Menlistened to me and waited,
And kept silence for my counsel.
22 After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech settled on themasdew.
23 They waited for measfor the rain,
# And they opened their mouth wideasforthe spring rain.
24 IfI mocked at them, they did not believeit,
And the light of my countenance they did not cast down.
25 I chose the way for them, and sat as chief;
So I dwelt as a king in the army,
As onewhocomforts mourners.