1. Moreover, Job continued his parable and said,
2. Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
3. when his lamp shone upon my head, and by its light I walked in the darkness;
4. as I was in the days of my youth, when God was familiar in my tent;
5. when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
6. when I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
7. When I went out to the gate to judgment, when I had my seat prepared in the plaza!
8. The young men would see me and hide themselves, and the aged would arise and stand.
9. The princes would refrain from talking and lay their hand on their mouth;
10. the voice of the principals would not be noticed, and their tongue would cleave to the roof of their mouth.
11. When the ears that heard me, called me blessed; and when the eyes that saw me, gave witness to me:
12. because I delivered the poor that cried and the fatherless who had no one to help him.
13. The blessing of the one that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me as a robe; and my diadem was judgment.
15. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
16. I was a father to the needy; and the cause which I did not know I searched out.