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- Job continued his discourse:
- "How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me,
- when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness!
- Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house,
- when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me,
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- Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
- Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
- When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
- As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
- When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
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- when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.
- "When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square,
- the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet;
- the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands;
- the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
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- When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
- When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
- The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
- The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
- The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
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- Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me,
- because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him.
- The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing.
- I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban.
- I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
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- When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
- Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
- The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
- I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.
- I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
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- I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger.
- I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth.
- "I thought, 'I will die in my own house, my days as numerous as the grains of sand.
- My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches.
- My glory will remain fresh in me, the bow ever new in my hand.'
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- I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
- And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
- Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
- My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
- My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.
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- "Men listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel.
- After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears.
- They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain.
- When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them.
- I 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.
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- Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
- After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.
- And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
- If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.
- I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
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