Job 29
KJV
1Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, 2Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; 3When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; 4As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; 5When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me; 6When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
7When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! 8The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up. 9The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. 10The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. 11When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: 12Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. 13The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. 14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. 15I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. 16I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. 17And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
18Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. 19My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch. 20My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. 21Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. 22After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them. 23And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. 24If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. 25I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
Introduction
Job 29
After that excellent discourse concerning wisdom in the foregoing chapter Job sat down and paused awhile, not because he had talked himself out of breath, but because he would not, without the leave of the company, engross the talk to himself, but would give room for his friends, if they pleased, to make their remarks on what he had said; but they had nothing to say, and therefore, after he had recollected himself a little, he went on with his discourse concerning his own affairs, as recorded in this and the two following chapters, in which, I. He describes the height of the prosperity from which he had fallen. And, II. The depth of the adversity into which he had fallen; and this he does to move the pity of his friends, and to justify, or at least excuse, his own complaints. But then, III. To obviate his friends' censures of him, he makes a very ample and particular protestation of his own integrity notwithstanding. In this chapter he looks back to the days of his prosperity, and shows, 1. What comfort and satisfaction he had in his house and family (Job 29:1-6). 2. What a great deal of honour and power he had in his country, and what respect was paid him by all sorts of people (Job 29:7-10). 3. What abundance of good he did in his place, as a magistrate (Job 29:11-17). 4. What a just prospect he had of the continuance of his comfort at home (Job 29:18-20) and of his interest abroad (Job 29:21-25). All this he enlarges upon, to aggravate his present calamities; like Naomi, "I went out full," but am brought "home again empty."
Cross-references: Job 29:1 · Job 29:7 · Job 29:11 · Job 29:18 · Job 29:21