Job's Summary Defense

1 And Job again 1took 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,
3 when his 2lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,
4 as I was in my prime,a when the 3friendship of God was upon my tent,
5 when the Almighty was yet with me, when my 4children were all around me,
6 when my steps were 5washed with 6butter, and 7the rock poured out for me streams of 8oil!
7 When I went out to 9the gate of the city, when I prepared my seat in the square,
8 the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose and stood;
9 the princes refrained from talking and 10laid their hand on their mouth;
10 the voice of the nobles was hushed, and their 11tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
11 When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved,
12 because I 12delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him.
13 13The blessing of him who was 14about to perish came upon me, and I caused 15the widow's heart to sing for joy.
14 I 16put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and 17a turban.
15 I was 18eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.
16 I was a father to the needy, and I searched out 19the cause of him whom I did not know.
17 I 20broke 21the fangs of the unrighteous and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
18 22Then I thought, 'I shall die in my 23nest, and I shall multiply my days as 24the sand,
19 my 25roots spread out to 26the waters, with the dew all night on my 27branches,
20 my glory fresh with me, and my 28bow ever 29new in my hand.'
21 "Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel.
22 After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word 30dropped upon them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain, and they 31opened their mouths as for the 32spring rain.
24 I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and 33the light of my 34face they did not cast down.
25 I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like 35a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners.