^[1]  Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

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^[2]  Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

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^[3]  When his candle shined on my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;

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^[4]  As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was on my tabernacle;

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^[5]  When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

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^[6]  When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

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^[7]  When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

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^[8]  The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

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^[9]  The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

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^[10]  The nobles held their peace, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.

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^[11]  When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

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^[12]  Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

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^[13]  The blessing of him that was ready to perish came on me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

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^[14]  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

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^[15]  I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

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^[16]  I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

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^[17]  And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

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^[18]  Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

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^[19]  My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night on my branch.

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^[20]  My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

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^[21]  To me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

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^[22]  After my words they spoke not again; and my speech dropped on them.

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^[23]  And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

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^[24]  If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

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^[25]  I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelled as a king in the army, as one that comforts the mourners.

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