1: Job again took up his parable, and said, 2: "Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me; 3: when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness, 4: as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent, 5: when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me, 6: when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me, 7: when I went forth to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street. 8: The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood. 9: The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. 10: The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. 11: For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me: 12: Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had none to help him, 13: the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. 14: I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem. 15: I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. 16: I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn't know, I searched out. 17: I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth. 18: Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand. 19: My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch. 20: My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.' 21: "Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel. 22: After my words they didn't speak again. My speech fell on them. 23: They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain. 24: I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn't reject the light of my face. 25: I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.