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Job 29
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Job29

Job’s Summary Defense
1And Job again 29:1 ch. 27:1; See Num. 23:7took up his discourse, and said:

2“Oh, that I were as in the months of old,
as in the days when God watched over me,
3when his 29:3 ch. 18:6; 2 Sam. 21:17; Ps. 18:28lamp shone upon my head,
and by his light I walked through darkness,
4as I was in my prime,29:4 Hebrew my autumn days
when the 29:4 Ps. 25:14; Prov. 3:32; See ch. 15:8friendship of God was upon my tent,
5when the Almighty was yet with me,
when my 29:5 ch. 1:2; [Ps. 128:3]children were all around me,
6when my steps were 29:6 [Gen. 49:11] washed with 29:6 ch. 20:17butter,
and 29:6 Deut. 32:13, 14; Ps. 81:16the rock poured out for me streams of 29:6 [Deut. 33:24]oil!
7When I went out to 29:7 See ch. 5:4the gate of the city,
when I prepared my seat in the square,
8the young men saw me and withdrew,
and the aged rose and stood;
9the princes refrained from talking
and 29:9 See ch. 21:5laid their hand on their mouth;
10the voice of the nobles was hushed,
and their 29:10 Ps. 22:15; 137:6; Lam. 4:4; Ezek. 3:26tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11When the ear heard, it called me blessed,
and when the eye saw, it approved,
12because I 29:12 Ps. 72:12delivered the poor who cried for help,
and the fatherless who had none to help him.
1329:13 ch. 31:20The blessing of him who was 29:13 Prov. 31:6; Isa. 27:13about to perish came upon me,
and I caused 29:13 [Ruth 2:20]the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
14I 29:14 Ps. 132:9; Isa. 59:17; 61:10; [Isa. 11:5; Eph. 6:14; 1 Thess. 5:8] put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
my justice was like a robe and 29:14 Isa. 62:3; Zech. 3:5; [ch. 19:9]a turban.
15I was 29:15 Num. 10:31eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
16I was a father to the needy,
and I searched out 29:16 [Prov. 29:7]the cause of him whom I did not know.
17I 29:17 Ps. 3:7broke 29:17 Ps. 58:6; Prov. 30:14the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
1829:18 [Ps. 30:6] Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my 29:18 Num. 24:21; See ch. 39:27nest,
and I shall multiply my days as 29:18 Gen. 22:17the sand,
19my 29:19 ch. 18:16roots spread out to 29:19 See Ps. 1:3the waters,
with the dew all night on my 29:19 [ch. 14:9]branches,
20my glory fresh with me,
and my 29:20 Gen. 49:24bow ever 29:20 [Isa. 40:31; 41:1]new in my hand.’

21“Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel.
22After I spoke they did not speak again,
and my word 29:22 [Deut. 32:2; 33:28]dropped upon them.
23They waited for me as for the rain,
and they 29:23 Ps. 119:131; [Isa. 5:14] opened their mouths as for the 29:23 Prov. 16:15; Jer. 3:3; Zech. 10:1; [Deut. 11:14]spring rain.
24I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
and 29:24 Prov. 16:15the light of my 29:24 Gen. 4:5face they did not cast down.
25I chose their way and sat as chief,
and I lived like 29:25 ch. 15:24a king among his troops,
like one who comforts mourners.