| NET Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Then Job continued his speech: | 1And Job continued his discourse: |
| 2"O that I could be as I was in the months now gone, 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 he caused his lamp to shine upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness; | 3when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness, |
| 4just as I was in my most productive time, when God's intimate friendship was experienced in my tent, | 4when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent, |
| 5when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me; | 5when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, |
| 6when my steps were bathed with butter and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil! | 6when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil! |
| 7When I went out to the city gate and secured my seat in the public square, | 7When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square, |
| 8the young men would see me and step aside, and the old men would get up and remain standing; | 8the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet. |
| 9the chief men refrained from talking and covered their mouths with their hands; | 9The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands. |
| 10the voices of the nobles fell silent, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. | 10The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths. |
| 11"As soon as the ear heard these things, it blessed me, and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me, | 11For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me, |
| 12for I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the orphan who had no one to assist him; | 12because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper. |
| 13the blessing of the dying man descended on me, and I made the widow's heart rejoice; | 13The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy. |
| 14I put on righteousness and it clothed me, my just dealing was like a robe and a turban; | 14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban. |
| 15I was eyes for the blind and feet for the lame; | 15I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame. |
| 16I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case of the person I did not know; | 16I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger. |
| 17I broke the fangs of the wicked, and made him drop his prey from his teeth. | 17I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth. |
| 18"Then I thought, 'I will die in my own home, my days as numerous as the grains of sand. | 18So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand. |
| 19My roots reach the water, and the dew lies on my branches all night long. | 19My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches. |
| 20My glory will always be fresh in me, and my bow ever new in my hand.' | 20My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’ |
| 21"People listened to me and waited silently; they kept silent for my advice. | 21Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel. |
| 22After I had spoken, they did not respond; my words fell on them drop by drop. | 22After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew. |
| 23They waited for me as people wait for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rains. | 23They waited for me as for rain and drank in my words like spring showers. |
| 24If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it; and they did not cause the light of my face to darken. | 24If I smiled at them, they did not believe it; the light of my countenance was precious. |
| 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. | 25I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners. |
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