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1. Job again took up his parable, and said,
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1.
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2. "Oh that I were as in the months of old, As in the days when God watched over me;
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2.
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3. When his lamp shone on my head, And by his light I walked through darkness;
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3.
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4. As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was in my tent;
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4.
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5. When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
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5.
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6. When my steps were washed with butter, And the rock poured out streams of oil for me!
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6.
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7. When I went forth to the city gate, When I prepared my seat in the street,
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7.
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8. The young men saw me and hid themselves, The aged rose up and stood;
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8.
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9. The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;
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9.
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10. The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
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10.
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11. For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it commended me:
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11.
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12. Because I delivered the poor who cried, And the fatherless also, who had none to help him.
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12.
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13. The blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
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13.
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14. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem.
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14.
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15. I was eyes to the blind, And feet to the lame.
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15.
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16. I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn't know, I searched out.
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16.
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17. I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.
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17.
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18. Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.
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18.
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19. My root is spread out to the waters, The dew lies all night on my branch;
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19.
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20. My glory is fresh in me, My bow is renewed in my hand.'
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20.
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21. "Men listened to me, waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
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21.
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22. After my words they didn't speak again; My speech fell on them.
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22.
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23. They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain.
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23.
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24. I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn't reject the light of my face.
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24.
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25. I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, As one who comforts the mourners.
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25.
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