1 Job continued his discourse:

2 “How I long for the months gone by,

for the days when God watched over me,

3 when his lamp shone on my head

and by his light I walked through darkness!

4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,

when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house,

5 when the Almighty was still with me

and my children were around me,

6 when my path was drenched with cream

and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.

7 “When I went to the gate of the city

and took my seat in the public square,

1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

2 Oh that I were as in months past,

As in the days when God preserved me;

3 When his candle shined upon my head,

And when by his light I walked through darkness;

4 As I was in the days of my youth,

When the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;

5 When the Almighty was yet with me,

When my children were about me;

6 When I washed my steps with butter,

And the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

7 When I went out to the gate through the city,

When I prepared my seat in the street!

1 Job continued speaking:

2 “I long for the years gone by

when God took care of me,

3 when he lit up the way before me

and I walked safely through the darkness.

4 When I was in my prime,

God’s friendship was felt in my home.

5 The Almighty was still with me,

and my children were around me.

6 My steps were awash in cream,

and the rocks gushed olive oil for me.

7 “Those were the days when I went to the city gate

and took my place among the honored leaders.

1 Job further continued his discourse, and said:

2 “Oh, that I were as in months past,

As in the days when God watched over me;

3 When His lamp shone upon my head,

And when by His light I walked through darkness;

4 Just as I was in the days of my prime,

When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;

5 When the Almighty was yet with me,

When my children were around me;

6 When my steps were bathed with cream,

And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!

7 “When I went out to the gate by the city,

When I took my seat in the open square,

1 Job continued to speak:

2 “How I wish for the months that have passed

and the days when God watched over me.

3 God’s lamp shined on my head,

and I walked through darkness by his light.

4 I wish for the days when I was strong,

when God’s close friendship blessed my house.

5 The Almighty was still with me,

and my children were all around me.

6 It was as if my path were covered with cream

and the rocks poured out olive oil for me.

7 I would go to the city gate

and sit in the public square.

1 And Job again took up his parable, and said,

2 Oh that I were as in the months of old,

As in the days when God watched over me;

3 When his lamp shined upon my head,

And by his light I walked through darkness;

4 As I was in the ripeness of my days,

When the friendship of God was upon my tent;

5 When the Almighty was yet with me,

And my children were about me;

6 When my steps were washed with butter,

And the rock poured me out streams of oil!

7 When I went forth to the gate unto the city,

When I prepared my seat in the street,

1 And Job continued his parable and said, 2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when †God preserved me; 3 When his lamp shone over my head, and by his light I walked through darkness; 4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret counsel of †God was over my tent, 5 When the Almighty was yet with me, my young men round about me; 6 When my steps were bathed in milk, and the rock poured out beside me rivers of oil! …

7 When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway,

1 Job continued his poems and said, 

2 “If only my life could be like it used to be, 

in the days when God watched over me, 

3 when he made his lamp shine on my head, 

when I walked through the dark in his light. 

4 If only I were in the prime of my life ⸤again⸥, 

when God was an adviser in my tent. 

5 When the Almighty was still with me 

and my children were around me, 

6 my steps were bathed in buttermilk, 

and the rocks poured streams of olive oil on me. 

7 When I went through the city gate 

and took my seat in the town square, 

1 Job continued his discourse, saying:

2 If only I could be as in months gone by,

in the days when God watched over me,

3 when His lamp shone above my head,

and I walked through darkness by His light!

4 I would be as I was in the days of my youth

when God’s friendship rested on my tent,

5 when the Almighty was still with me

and my children were around me,

6 when my feet were bathed in cream

and the rock poured out streams of oil for me!

7 When I went out to the city gate

and took my seat in the town square,

1 Job again took up his discourse and said:

2 “O that I were as in the months of old,

as in the days when God watched over me;

3 when his lamp shone over my head,

and by his light I walked through darkness;

4 when I was in my prime,

when the friendship of God was upon my tent;

5 when the Almighty was still with me,

when my children were around me;

6 when my steps were washed with milk,

and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

7 When I went out to the gate of the city,

when I took my seat in the square,

1 Then Job again took up his discourse and said,

2 “O that I were as in the months before,

as in the days when God watched over me,

3 when his shining lamp was over my head—

by his light I walked through darkness—

4 as when I was in the days of my prime,

when God’s confiding was over my house,

5 when Shaddai was still with me,

my children were all around me,

6 when my paths were washed in sour milk,

and the rock poured out streams of oil for me.

7 “At my going out the gate to the city,

I secured my seat in the square.

1 Job continued to speak. He said,

2 “How I long for the good old days!

That’s when God watched over me.

3 The light of his lamp shone on me.

I walked through darkness by his light.

4 Those were the best days of my life.

That’s when God’s friendship blessed my house.

5 The Mighty One was still with me.

My children were all around me.

6 The path in front of me was like sweet cream.

It was as if the rock poured out olive oil for me.

7 “In those days I went to the city gate.

I took my seat as a member of the council.

1 And Job again took up his discourse and said,

2 “Oh that I were as in months gone by,

As in the days when God watched over me;

3 When His lamp shone over my head,

And by His light I walked through darkness;

4 As I was in the prime of my days,

When the friendship of God was over my tent;

5 When the Almighty was yet with me,

And my children were around me;

6 When my steps were bathed in butter,

And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!

7 “When I went out to the gate of the city,

When I took my seat in the square,