| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Job further continued his discourse, and said: | 1Then Job continued his speech: |
| 2“Oh, that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over me; | 2"O that I could be as I was in the months now gone, in the days when God watched over me, |
| 3When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness; | 3when he caused his lamp to shine upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness; |
| 4Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent; | 4just as I was in my most productive time, when God's intimate friendship was experienced in my tent, |
| 5When the Almighty was yet with me, When my children were around me; | 5when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me; |
| 6When my steps were bathed with cream, And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me! | 6when my steps were bathed with butter and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil! |
| 7“When I went out to the gate by the city, When I took my seat in the open square, | 7When I went out to the city gate and secured my seat in the public square, |
| 8The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood; | 8the young men would see me and step aside, and the old men would get up and remain standing; |
| 9The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth; | 9the chief men refrained from talking and covered 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 nobles fell silent, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. |
| 11When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me; | 11"As soon as the ear heard these things, it blessed me, and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me, |
| 12Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper. | 12for I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the orphan who had no one to assist him; |
| 13The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. | 13the blessing of the dying man descended on me, and I made the widow's heart rejoice; |
| 14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. | 14I put on righteousness and it clothed me, my just dealing was like a robe and a turban; |
| 15I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame. | 15I was 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, and I investigated the case of the person I did not 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 his prey from his teeth. |
| 18“Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand. | 18"Then I thought, 'I will die in my own home, my days as numerous as the grains of sand. |
| 19My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch. | 19My roots reach the water, and the dew lies on my branches all night long. |
| 20My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’ | 20My glory will always be fresh in me, and my bow ever new in my hand.' |
| 21“Men listened to me and waited, And kept silence for my counsel. | 21"People listened to me and waited silently; they kept silent for my advice. |
| 22After my words they did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew. | 22After I had spoken, they did not respond; my words fell on them drop by drop. |
| 23They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain. | 23They waited for me as people wait for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rains. |
| 24If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down. | 24If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it; and they did not cause the light of my face to darken. |
| 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 chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I lived like a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners. |
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