| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1And Job again took up his discourse, and said: | 1Job continued his discourse: |
| 2“Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me, | 2"How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, |
| 3when his lamp shone upon my head, and 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 my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent, | 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 all around me, | 5when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, |
| 6when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out for me streams 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 of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square, | 7"When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square, |
| 8the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose and stood; | 8the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet; |
| 9the princes refrained from talking and laid their hand on their mouth; | 9the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands; |
| 10the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck 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, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved, | 11Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, |
| 12because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who 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 who was about 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 justice was like a robe and a turban. | 14I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. |
| 15I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. | 15I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. |
| 16I was a father to the needy, and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know. | 16I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. |
| 17I broke the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth. | 17I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth. |
| 18Then I thought, ‘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 roots spread out to the waters, with the dew all night on my branches, | 19My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches. |
| 20my glory fresh with me, and my bow ever new in my hand.’ | 20My glory will not fade; the bow will be ever new in my hand.' |
| 21“Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. | 21"People listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel. |
| 22After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them. | 22After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears. |
| 23They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. | 23They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain. |
| 24I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down. | 24When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them. |
| 25I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts 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. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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