| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, | 1Job continued his discourse: |
| 2Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; | 2"How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, |
| 3When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; | 3when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness! |
| 4As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; | 4Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house, |
| 5When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me; | 5when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, |
| 6When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil; | 6when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil. |
| 7When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! | 7"When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square, |
| 8The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up. | 8the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet; |
| 9The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. | 9the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands; |
| 10The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. | 10the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. |
| 11When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: | 11Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, |
| 12Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. | 12because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them. |
| 13The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. | 13The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing. |
| 14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. | 14I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. |
| 15I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. | 15I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. |
| 16I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. | 16I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. |
| 17And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth. | 17I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth. |
| 18Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. | 18"I thought, 'I will die in my own house, my days as numerous as the grains of sand. |
| 19My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch. | 19My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches. |
| 20My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. | 20My glory will not fade; the bow will be ever new in my hand.' |
| 21Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. | 21"People listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel. |
| 22After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them. | 22After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears. |
| 23And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. | 23They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain. |
| 24If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. | 24When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them. |
| 25I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners. | 25I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I dwelt as a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners. |
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