Job remembers how he lived before
1Job started speaking again. He said:
2‘I wish that my life was
the same as it was a few months ago,
when God was protecting me.
3The light of God was shining on me
and I knew where to go when it was dark.
4I was strong and God
was with me in my house.
5The Almighty God was with me,
and my children were around me.
6Life was good to me.
I had enough milk and butter,
more than enough, and I had a lot of olive oil,
because my olive trees grew even in rocky_ground.
7When I went to the gate of the city
to sit down in the courtyard,
8the young men stood back
and the old men got up to show respect.
9The leaders kept quiet
and they stopped speaking.
10The important people
did not say anything.’
Job was good to poor people
11‘People who saw me
and heard what I said
congratulated me and
they said good things about me.
12This was because I had saved people
who could not help themselves,
and people who asked me for help.
I also helped orphans,
who had no one to help them.
13People who were dying
blessed me and widows were happy
about what I did for them.
14I have always done what is right to everyone.
I did that every day,
like putting on clothes.
15I led blind people and I
helped crippled people walk.
16I was like a father to poor people,
and I helped people who had to go to court,
even people that I did not know before.
17I stopped bad and cruel people
when they did bad things to other people.
18I thought that I would live
for a long time and die happily.
19I thought that I would be like a tree
whose roots are near water,
whose branches are wet
from the dew each morning.’
People respected Job before
20‘People always respected me,
and I received new strength every day.
21They listened to everything I said
and waited for me to tell them what to do.
22After I had finished speaking, they were satisfied,
and my words were like drops of rain to them.
23They waited for me to speak,
like they waited for the rain to come.
They welcomed my words
like the rain in spring.
24I was friendly to them
when they thought that I would not be.
When I smiled at them, it encouraged them.
25I was their leader and their chief.
I was like a king among his army,
like someone who encourages people
when they cry and mourn.’
