Job 29
New American Bible Revised Edition

VI. Job’s Final Summary of His Cause

1* Job took up his theme again and said:

2Oh, that I were as in the months past,

as in the days when God watched over me:a

3While he kept his lamp shining above my head,

and by his light I walked through darkness;

4As I was in my flourishing days,

when God sheltered my tent;

5When the Almighty was still with me,

and my children were round about me;

6When my footsteps were bathed in cream,

and the rock flowed with streams of oil.*

7Whenever I went out to the gate of the city

and took my seat in the square,

8The young men saw me and withdrew,

and the elders rose up and stood;

9Officials refrained from speaking

and covered their mouths with their hands;b

10The voice of the princes was silenced,

and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.

11The ear that heard blessed me;

the eye that saw acclaimed me.

12For I rescued the poor who cried out for help,

the orphans, and the unassisted;

13The blessing of those in extremity came upon me,

and the heart of the widow I made joyful.

14I wore my righteousness like a garment;

justice was my robe and my turban.

15I was eyes to the blind,

and feet to the lame was I.

16I was a father to the poor;

the complaint of the stranger I pursued,

17And I broke the jaws of the wicked man;

from his teeth I forced the prey.

18I said: “In my own nest I shall grow old;

I shall multiply years like the phoenix.*

19My root is spread out to the waters;

the dew rests by night on my branches.

20My glory is fresh within me,

and my bow is renewed in my hand!”

21For me they listened and waited;

they were silent for my counsel.

22Once I spoke, they said no more,

but received my pronouncement drop by drop.

23They waited for me as for the rain;

they drank in my words like the spring rains.

24When I smiled on them they could not believe it;

they would not let the light of my face be dimmed.

25I decided their course and sat at their head,

I lived like a king among the troops,

like one who comforts mourners.


Book Introduction

Footnotes

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.





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