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v1
Then ^[Hebrew “And”] Job again took up his discourse and said,
v2
“O that I were ^[Literally “Who shall give me”] as in the months before, as in the days when God watched over me,
v3
when his shining lamp was over my head— by his light I walked through darkness—
v4
as when I was in the days of my prime, when God’s confiding was over my house, ^[Literally “tent”]
v5
when Shaddai_was_ still with me, my children were all around me,
v6
when my paths were washed in sour milk, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me.
v7
“At my going out the gate to the city, I secured my seat in the square.
v8
Young men saw me and stepped aside, and the aged rose up and stood.
v9
Officials refrained from talking, and they laid their hand on their mouth.
v10
The voices ^[Hebrew “voice”; collective singular by context, governing a plural verb] of nobles were hushed, and their tongue stuck to their palate.
v11
“When the ear heard and commended me, and the eye saw and testified in support of me
v12
because I saved the needy who cried for help, and I saved ^[Supplying the elided verb from the preceding parallel line] the orphan for whom there was no helper.
v13
The blessing of the wretched came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
v14
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a headband.
v15
“I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the lame.
v16
I was a father to the poor, and I investigated the stranger’s ^[Literally “the one I knew not”] legal dispute.
v17
And I broke the evil one’s jaw bones, and I made his prey drop from his teeth.
v18
“And I thought, ‘I will pass away in my nest, and like the phoenix I shall multiply my days.
v19
My roots were open to water, and dew spent the night on my branches;
v20
My glory was new with me, and I was revitalized regularly.’ ^[See NJPS; literally “my bow in my hand was new”]
v21
“They listened to me and waited, and they kept silent for my counsel.
v22
After my word, they did not speak again, and my word dropped down like dew upon them.
v23
And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain.
v24
I smiled for them when they had no confidence in anything, and they did not extinguish the light of my face.
v25
I chose their way, and I sat as head, and I dwelled like a king among the troops, like one who comforts mourners.