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And Job again took up his parable, and said:

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Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me;

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When His lamp shined above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness;

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As I was in the days of my youth, when the converse of God was upon my tent;

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When the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were about me;

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When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!

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When I went forth to the gate unto the city, when I prepared my seat in the broad place,

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The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged rose up and stood;

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The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;

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The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

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For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness unto me;

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Because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless also, that had none to help him.

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The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

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I put on righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; my justice was as a robe and a diadem.

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I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

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I was a father to the needy; and the cause of him that I knew not I searched out.

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And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

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Then I said: 'I shall die with my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the phoenix;

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My root shall be spread out to the waters, and the dew shall lie all night upon my branch;

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My glory shall be fresh in me, and my bow shall be renewed in my hand.'

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Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel.

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After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

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And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

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If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

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I chose out their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.