| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1Job further continued his discourse, and said: | 1Then Job continued with his discourse: |
| 2“Oh, that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over me; | 2"I wish I could go back to how things were a few months ago; when God used to watch over me, |
| 3When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness; | 3when his lamp used to shine over my head, so I could walk through the dark, |
| 4Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent; | 4like when I was in my prime and God trusted me with his secrets! |
| 5When the Almighty was yet with me, When my children were around me; | 5"The Almighty was still with me back then, and my children were still around me. |
| 6When my steps were bathed with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me! | 6I was successful wherever I went, and even the rocks poured out streams of olive oil for me." |
| 7“When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square, | 7"Whenever I went out to the city gate, a seat had been reserved for me in the plaza. |
| 8The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood; | 8The young men would see me and withdraw, and the aged would rise and stand. |
| 9The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth; | 9Nobles would refrain from speaking, covering their mouths with their hands. |
| 10The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. | 10The voices of the commanders-in-chief were hushed, and their tongues would cling to the roofs of their mouths." |
| 11When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me; | 11"When people heard me speak, they blessed me; when people saw me, they approved me, |
| 12Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper. | 12because I delivered the poor who were crying for help, along with orphans who had no one to help them. |
| 13The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. | 13Those who were about to die blessed me, and I made widows sing for joy. |
| 14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. | 14I put on righteousness like clothing; my just decisions were like a robe and a turban. |
| 15I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame. | 15I served as eyes for the blind and feet for the lame. |
| 16I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know. | 16I was a father to the needy; I diligently inquired into the case of those I didn't know. |
| 17I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth. | 17I broke the fangs of the wicked, and made him drop the prey." |
| 18“Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand. | 18"I used to say: 'I will die in my home. I'm going to live as many days as there are grains of sand on the shore. |
| 19My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch. | 19My roots have spread out and have found water, and dew settles at night on my branches. |
| 20My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’ | 20My glory renews for me and my bow is as good as new in my hand.' |
| 21“Men listened to me and waited, And kept silence for my counsel. | 21"They listened and waited for me, as they remained in silence for my counsel. |
| 22After my words they did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew. | 22After I spoke, they had nothing to say, when what I said hit them. |
| 23They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain. | 23They waited for me as one waits for rain, as one opens his mouth to drink in a spring rain shower. |
| 24If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down. | 24I smiled at them when they had no confidence, and no one could discourage me. |
| 25I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts mourners. | 25I set an example of the way to live, as a leader would; I lived like a king among his army; like one who comforts mourners." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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