| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Job further continued his discourse, and said: | 1Job continued speaking: |
| 2“Oh, that I were as in months past, As in the days when God watched over me; | 2“I long for the years gone by when God took care of me, |
| 3When His lamp shone upon my head, And when by His light I walked through darkness; | 3when he lit up the way before me and I walked safely through the darkness. |
| 4Just as I was in the days of my prime, When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent; | 4When I was in my prime, God’s friendship was felt in my home. |
| 5When the Almighty was yet with me, When my children were around me; | 5The 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! | 6My steps were awash in cream, and the rocks gushed 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“Those were the days when I went to the city gate and took my place among the honored leaders. |
| 8The young men saw me and hid, And the aged arose and stood; | 8The young stepped aside when they saw me, and even the aged rose in respect at my coming. |
| 9The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth; | 9The princes stood in silence and put their hands over their mouths. |
| 10The voice of nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. | 10The highest officials of the city stood quietly, holding their tongues in respect. |
| 11When the ear heard, then it blessed me, And when the eye saw, then it approved me; | 11“All who heard me praised me. All who saw me spoke well of me. |
| 12Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper. | 12For I assisted the poor in their need and the orphans who required help. |
| 13The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. | 13I helped those without hope, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy. |
| 14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. | 14Everything I did was honest. Righteousness covered me like a robe, and I wore justice like 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 poor and assisted strangers who needed help. |
| 17I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth. | 17I broke the jaws of godless oppressors and plucked their victims from their teeth. |
| 18“Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand. | 18“I thought, ‘Surely I will die surrounded by my family after a long, good life. |
| 19My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch. | 19For I am like a tree whose roots reach the water, whose branches are refreshed with the dew. |
| 20My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’ | 20New honors are constantly bestowed on me, and my strength is continually renewed.’ |
| 21“Men listened to me and waited, And kept silence for my counsel. | 21“Everyone listened to my advice. They were silent as they waited for me to speak. |
| 22After my words they did not speak again, And my speech settled on them as dew. | 22And after I spoke, they had nothing to add, for my counsel satisfied them. |
| 23They waited for me as for the rain, And they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain. | 23They longed for me to speak as people long for rain. They drank my words like a refreshing spring rain. |
| 24If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, And the light of my countenance they did not cast down. | 24When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them. |
| 25I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king in the army, As one who comforts mourners. | 25Like a chief, I told them what to do. I lived like a king among his troops and comforted those who mourned. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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