The Happy Past

29 Then Job answered and said:

2 O to be as in months long gone,

As in days when God used to keep me,

3 When His lamp shone over my head,

And I walked by His light through the darkness;

4 As I was in the days of mine autumn,

When God protected my tent,

5 While still the Almighty was with me,

And my children were round about me;

6 When my steps were bathed in milk,

And the rock poured me rivers of oil!

7 When I went to the city gate,

Or took up my place in the open,

8 The youths, when they saw me, hid.

The old men rose and stood.

9 Princes refrained from speech,

And laid their hand on their mouth.

10 The voice of the nobles was hushed,

And their tongue would cleave to their palate.

11 I was blessed by the ear that heard me,

The eye bore me witness that saw me;

12 For I rescued the poor when he cried,

The fatherless and the helpless.

13 The wretched gave me their blessing,

The widow’s heart I made sing.

14 I put on the garment of righteousness,

A robe and a turban of justice.

15 Eyes was I to the blind,

Feet to the lame was I;

16 A father was I to the poor,

And I searched out the cause of the stranger.

17 I shattered the jaws of the wicked,

And hurled the prey from his teeth.

18 So I thought, "I shall die with my nest,

As the sand my days shall be many.

19 My root is spread out to the waters,

All night lies the dew on my branches.

20 Within me my glory is fresh,

And my bow is renewed in my hand."order changed from original

21 They hearkened to me and they waited,

Kept silence till I should give counsel;

22 After I spoke, they spake not again,

My speech fell like rain-drops upon them,

23 They waited for me as for rain–

Open-mouthed, as for latter rain.

24 When I smiled upon them, they were strengthened;

The light of my face cheered the sorrowing.

25 I chose out their way and sat chief,

Enthroned like a king in his army.