29: 2 Oh that I were as in the months of old As in the days when God watched over me;
29: 3 When his lamp shined 295upon my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;
295Or, above
29: 4 As I was in 296the ripeness of my days, When the 297friendship of God was upon my tent;
296Hb. my days of autumn,
297Or, counsel of God
29: 5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were about me;
29: 6 When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured me out streams of oil!
29: 7 When I went forth to the gate unto the city, When I prepared my seat in the 298street,
298Or, broad place,
29: 8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged rose up and stood;
29: 9 The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;
29: 10 The voice of the nobles was 299hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
299Hb. hid,
29: 11 For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me:
29: 12 Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless 300also, that had none to help him.
300Or, and him that had none to help him.
29: 13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.
29: 14 I put on righteousness, and it 301clothed me: My justice was as a robe and a 302diadem.
301Or, clothed itself with me:
302Or, turban.
29: 15 I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame.
29: 16 I was a father to the needy: And 303the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.
303Or, the cause which I knew not I searched out.
29: 17 And I brake the 304jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.
304Hb. great teeth of the unrighteous,
29: 18 Then I said, I shall die 305in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand:
305Or, beside Hb. with
29: 19 My root is 306spread out 307to the waters, And the dew lieth all night upon my branch:
306Hb. opened
307Or, by
29: 20 My glory is fresh in me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.
29: 21 Unto me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
29: 22 After my words they spake not again; And my speech distilled upon them.
29: 23 And they waited for me as for the rain; And they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.
29: 24 I smiled on them, when they had no confidence; And the light of my countenance they cast not down.
29: 25 I chose out their way, and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king in the army, As one that comforteth the mourners.
