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- ¶ MOREOVER Job continued his parable, and said,
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- O that I were as in months past, as in the days when God took care of me;
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- When he put his worship high upon my head, when his lamp shone over me;
and when by his light I walked through darkness.
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- O, that I were as in the days when I was in favor, when God abode in my tabernacle;
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- When the Almighty was yet round about me in my youth;
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- When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
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- ¶ When I went out to the gate of the city and called on the people;
and sat down like a poor man in the street,
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- The young men saw me and hid themselves;
and the aged arose, and respected me.
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- The nobles held their peace, and laid their hands on their mouth.
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- The voice of the princes was restrained, and their tongues cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
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- For when the ear heard me, then it praised me;
and when the eye saw me, it gave testimony about me;
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- Because I delivered the poor out of distress, and the fatherless who had none to help him.
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- The blessing of him who was ready to perish came upon me;
and I caused the widow’s heart to rejoice.
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- I put on righteousness, and it clothed me like a robe and diadem of justice.
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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 poor;
and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
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- And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and snatched the prey out of his teeth.
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- ¶ Then I said, I shall become straight like a reed, I shall deliver the poor and multiply my days like the sand of the seas.
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- My roots are planted by the waters, and the dew lies all night upon my boughs, and at the harvest season I shall be invited to the feast.
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- I shall take my bow with me, and renew it in my hand.
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- Men listened to me, and waited, and hearkened to my counsel.
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- And from my words they departed not, and my speech was pleasing to them.
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- They waited for me as for the rain;
and they opened their mouths wide as for the spring rain.
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- If I ridiculed them, they did not take offense;
and they did not turn from the light of my countenance.
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- I searched out their ways, and then returned and dwelt as a king in his army, like one who comforts the mourners.
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