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

as in the days when God watched over me,*

3when his lamp shone over my head,

and by his light I walked through darkness,*

4when I was in my prime,

when the friendship of God was upon my tent,*

5when the Almightyt was still with me,

when my children were around me,

6when my steps were washed with milk

and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!*

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

when I took my seat in the square,

8the young men saw me and withdrew,

and the aged rose up and stood;

9the nobles refrained from talking

and laid their hands on their mouths;*

10the voices of princes were hushed,

and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.*

11When the ear heard, it commended me,

and when the eye saw, it approved,

12because I delivered the poor who cried

and the orphan who had no helper.*

13The blessing of the wretched came upon me,

and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.*

14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;

my justice was like a robe and a turban.*

15I was eyes to the blind

and feet to the lame.

16I was a father to the needy,

and I championed the cause of the stranger.*

17I broke the fangs of the unrighteous

and made them drop their prey from their teeth.*

18Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest,

and I shall multiply my days like the phoenix;u^,*

19my roots spread out to the waters,

with the dew all night on my branches;*

20my glory was fresh with me

and my bow ever new in my hand.’*

21“They listened to me and waited

and kept silence for my counsel.*

22After I spoke they did not speak again,

and my word dropped upon them like dew.v^,*

23They waited for me as for the rain;

they opened their mouths as for the spring rain.

24I smiled on them when they had no confidence,

and the light of my countenance they did not extinguish.w

25I chose what they should do and sat as chief,

and I lived like a king among his troops,

like one who comforts mourners.*