1
I have made a covenant with myb[Isa. 33:15; Matt. 5:28] eyes;
how then could I gaze at a virgin?
2 What would becSee ch. 20:29 my portion from God above
andcSee ch. 20:29 my heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
4 dch. 14:16; 34:21; 2 Chr. 16:9; Prov. 5:21; 15:3; Jer. 16:17; 32:19; Zech. 4:10 Does not he see my ways
andech. 14:16 number all my steps?
5 If I have walked with falsehood
and my foot has hastened to deceit;
6 (Let me befDan. 5:27 weighed in a just balance,
and let God know my integrity!)
7 if my step has turned aside from the way
andgNum. 15:39; Eccles. 11:9 my heart has gone after my eyes,
and if anyh[ch. 11:15] spot has stuck to my hands,
8 then let meiLev. 26:16; Deut. 28:30, 38; [John 4:37] sow, and another eat,
and let what grows for me1Or let my descendants be rooted out.
9 If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
and I havej[ch. 24:15] lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
10 then let my wifek[Ex. 11:5; Isa. 47:2] grind for another,
and let othersl[2 Sam. 12:11; Jer. 8:10] bow down on her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
that would be an iniquitymver. 28; [Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22] to be punished by the judges;
12 for that would be a firenSee Prov. 6:27-29 that consumes as far as Abaddon,
and it would burn to the root all my increase.
13 If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,
when they brought a complaint against me,
14 what then shall I do when God rises up?
When heoPs. 17:3 makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?
15 Didpch. 34:19; Prov. 14:31; 22:2; [Eph. 6:9] not he who made me in the womb make him?
And did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 If I haveq[ch. 22:7] withheld anything that the poor desired,
or haverch. 11:20; 17:5 caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone,
and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father,
and from my mother's womb I guided the widow ),
19 if I have seen anyonesch. 29:13 perish fortch. 24:7, 10 lack of clothing,
or the needy withouttch. 24:7, 10 covering,
20 if his body has notuch. 29:13; Deut. 24:13 blessed me,
and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand againstvch. 22:9 the fatherless,
because I saw my help inwSee ch. 5:4 the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I wasxch. 13:11 in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced hisxch. 13:11 majesty.
24 yMark 10:24, 25 If I have made gold myzch. 4:6 trust
or calledach. 28:16 fine gold my confidence,
25 if I havebPs. 62:10 rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
or becausecDeut. 8:17 my hand had found much,
26 dDeut. 4:19; [Deut. 17:3; 2 Kgs. 23:5, 11; Ezek. 8:16] if I have looked at the sun when it shone,
oreSee Jer. 44:17-19 the moon moving in splendor,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28 this also would befver. 11 an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
for I would have been false to God above.
29 If I havegProv. 17:5 rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
or exulted when evil overtook him
30 (h[Matt. 5:44; Rom. 12:14] I have not let my mouth sin
by asking for his life with a curse),
31 if the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been filled with hisiEx. 16:12; 1 Sam. 25:11 meat? ’
32 (j[Gen. 19:2, 3; Judg. 19:20, 21; Matt. 25:35; Heb. 13:2] the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
I have opened my doors to the traveler),
33 if IkProv. 28:13 have concealed my transgressionslGen. 3:8, 12 as others do1Or as Adam did
by hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 because I stood in great fear ofm[Ex. 23:2] the multitude,
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
(Here is my signature! Let the Almightynch. 13:22 answer me!)
Oh, that I hado[ch. 19:23] the indictment written by my adversary!
36 Surely I would carry it on mypIsa. 9:6; 22:22 shoulder;
I wouldqProv. 6:21 bind it on me asrZech. 6:11 a crown;
37 I would give him an account of all my steps;
like a prince I would approach him.
38 If my land has cried out against me
and its furrows have wept together,
39 s[ch. 22:6-9; Luke 10:7; 2 Tim. 2:6; James 5:4] if I have eaten its yield without payment
and made its ownerst[1 Kgs. 21:16, 19] breathe their last,
40 letuGen. 3:18 thorns grow instead of wheat,
and foul weeds instead of barley. ” The words of Job are ended.