New American Standard Bible 2020

Job 29

Job’s Past Was Glorious

1Job again took up his 1discourse and said,2“Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God 2watched over me;3When 3His lamp shone over my head, And 4by His light I walked through darkness;4Just as I was in the days of my youth, When the 5protection of God was over my tent;5When 6the Almighty was still with me, And my children were around me;6When my steps were bathed in 7cream, And the 8rock poured out streams of oil for me!7When I went out to 9the gate of the city, When I 10took my seat in the public square,8The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood.9The leaders 11stopped talking And 12put their hands on their mouths;10The voices of the prominent people were 13 14hushed, And their 15tongues stuck to their palates.11For when 16an ear heard, it called me blessed, And when an eye saw, it testified in support of me,12Because I saved 17the poor who cried for help, And the 18orphan who had no helper.13The blessing of the one who 19was about to perish came upon me, And I made the 20widow’s heart sing for joy.14I 21put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a headband.15I was 22eyes to those who were blind, And feet to those who 23could not walk.16I was a father to 24the poor, And I investigated the case which I did not know.17I 25broke the jaws of the wicked And rescued the prey from his teeth.18Then I 26thought, ‘I will die with my 27family, And I will multiply my days as the sand.19My 28root is spread out to the waters, And 29dew lies on my branch all night.20My glory is ever new with me, And my 30bow is renewed in my hand.’

21“To me 31they listened and waited, And they kept silent for my advice.22After my words 32they did not speak again, And 33my speech dropped on them.23They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouths as for the late rain.24I smiled at them when they did not believe, And they did not look at 34my kindness ungraciously.25I chose a way for them and sat as 35chief, And lived as a king among the troops, As one who 36comforted the mourners.

Notes

1. Job 29:1 Num 23:7; 24:3; Job 13:12; 27:1 ↩
2. Job 29:2 Jer 31:28 ↩
3. Job 29:3 Job 18:6 ↩
4. Job 29:3 Job 11:17 ↩
5. Job 29:4 Job 15:8; Ps 25:14; Prov 3:32 ↩
6. Job 29:5 Heb Shaddai ↩
7. Job 29:6 Deut 32:14; Job 20:17 ↩
8. Job 29:6 Deut 32:13; Ps 81:16 ↩
9. Job 29:7 Job 31:21 ↩
10. Job 29:7 Lit set up ↩
11. Job 29:9 Job 29:21 ↩
12. Job 29:9 Job 21:5 ↩
13. Job 29:10 Lit hidden ↩
14. Job 29:10 Job 29:22 ↩
15. Job 29:10 Ps 137:6 ↩
16. Job 29:11 Job 4:3, 4 ↩
17. Job 29:12 Job 24:4, 9; 34:28; Ps 72:12; Prov 21:13 ↩
18. Job 29:12 Job 31:17, 21 ↩
19. Job 29:13 Job 31:19 ↩
20. Job 29:13 Job 22:9 ↩
21. Job 29:14 Job 27:5, 6; Ps 132:9; Is 59:17; 61:10; Eph 6:14 ↩
22. Job 29:15 Num 10:31 ↩
23. Job 29:15 Or limped ↩
24. Job 29:16 Job 24:4; Prov 29:7 ↩
25. Job 29:17 Ps 3:7 ↩
26. Job 29:18 Lit said ↩
27. Job 29:18 Lit nest ↩
28. Job 29:19 Jer 17:8 ↩
29. Job 29:19 Hos 14:5 ↩
30. Job 29:20 Gen 49:24; Ps 18:34 ↩
31. Job 29:21 Job 4:3; 29:9 ↩
32. Job 29:22 Job 29:10 ↩
33. Job 29:22 Deut 32:2 ↩
34. Job 29:24 Lit the light of my face ↩
35. Job 29:25 Job 1:3; 31:37 ↩
36. Job 29:25 Job 4:4; 16:5 ↩

Job’s Past Was Glorious

Notes

Commentaries on Job 29