Job 29 · Clearspring

Job’s Former Blessings

¹And Job again took up the word and said,+ ²If only I might again be as I was in the months which are past, in the days when God was watching over me!+ ³When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.+ ⁴As I was in my flowering years, when my tent was covered by the hand of God;+ ⁵While the Ruler of all was still with me, and my children were round me;+ ⁶When my steps were washed with milk, and rivers of oil were flowing out of the rock for me.+ ⁷When I went out of my door to go up to the town, and took my seat in the public place,+ ⁸The young men saw me, and went away, and the old men got up from their seats;+ ⁹The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;+ ¹⁰The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.+ ¹¹For when it came to their ears, men said that I was truly happy; and when their eyes saw, they gave witness to me;+ ¹²For I was a saviour to the poor when he was crying for help, to the child with no father, and to him who had no supporter.+ ¹³The blessing of him who was near to destruction came on me, and I put a song of joy into the widow's heart.+ ¹⁴I put on righteousness as my clothing, and was full of it; right decisions were to me a robe and a head-dress.+ ¹⁵I was eyes to the blind, and feet to him who had no power of walking.+ ¹⁶I was a father to the poor, searching out the cause of him who was strange to me.+ ¹⁷By me the great teeth of the evil-doer were broken, and I made him give up what he had violently taken away.+ ¹⁸Then I said, I will come to my end with my children round me, my days will be as the sand in number;+ ¹⁹My root will be open to the waters, and the night mist will be on my branches,+ ²⁰My glory will be ever new, and my bow will be readily bent in my hand.+ ²¹Men gave ear to me, waiting and keeping quiet for my suggestions.+ ²²After I had said what was in my mind, they were quiet and let my words go deep into their hearts;+ ²³They were waiting for me as for the rain, opening their mouths wide as for the spring rains.+ ²⁴I was laughing at them when they had no hope, and the light of my face was never clouded by their fear.+ ²⁵I took my place as a chief, guiding them on their way, and I was as a king among his army. ...+

Job’s Former Blessings

Study Job 29