1 “ I have made an agreement with my eyes not to look with desire at a young woman.

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

2 W hat would be my share from God above? What would my gift be from the All-powerful on high?

For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

3 D oes not trouble come to those who are not right and good? Do not hard times come to those who do wrong?

Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

4 D oes He not see my ways and number all my steps?

Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

5 “ If I have walked in ways that are false, and my foot has been quick to follow false ways,

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

6 l et Him weigh me with a true weight. Let God know that I am honest.

Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.

7 I f my step has turned from the way, and my heart has followed my eyes, or if my hands have held on to sin,

If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

8 t hen let me plant and another eat. Let what grows be pulled out by the roots.

Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

9 “ If my heart has been tempted by a woman, or I have waited at my neighbor’s door,

If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;

10 m ay my wife grind grain for another. And let others bow down upon her.

Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

11 F or that would be a very sinful thing to do. It would be a sin that would be punished by the judges.

For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

12 F or that would be a fire that burns at the Place That Destroys. It would dig out all I have planted.

For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13 “ If I did not listen to my men servants and women servants when they complained against me,

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

14 w hat will I do when God speaks to me? When He asks me why, what will I answer Him?

What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

15 D id not He Who made me inside my mother make him also? Did not the same One give us life from our mothers?

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

16 “ If I have kept what the poor should have or have caused the eyes of the woman whose husband has died to be tired,

If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17 i f I have eaten my food alone without sharing it with the child who has no parents,

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

18 ( but from the time I was young, he grew up with me as a father, and I have helped the woman without a husband since I was born,)

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)

19 i f I have seen anyone die because he had no clothing, or left any poor person without clothes,

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

20 i f he has not thanked me for the clothing on his body, and been made warm with the wool of my sheep,

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21 i f I have not done these things, or if I have lifted up my hand against the child who has no parents, because I saw I had help in the gate,

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

22 l et my shoulder fall out of place, and let my arm be broken off at the joint.

Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

23 F or trouble sent by God fills me with fear. Because of His great power I could not do these things.

For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

24 “ If I have put my faith in gold and said fine gold is my trust,

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

25 i f I have had pride because of my many riches and have received much by my hand,

If I rejoice because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

26 i f I have looked at the sun shining or the bright moon going on its way,

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

27 a nd have in secret worshiped them in my heart, and have honored them by throwing them a kiss with my hand,

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

28 t hese also would be sins to be judged. It would say I did not know the God above.

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

29 “ Have I been glad when a person who hated me was destroyed? Have I been filled with joy when trouble came to him?

If I rejoice at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

30 N o, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life to be cursed.

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

31 H ave the men of my tent not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat’?

If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

32 T he stranger has not stayed in the street, for I have opened my doors to the traveler.

The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.

33 H ave I hidden my sins like Adam? Have I hidden my wrong-doing in my heart,

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

34 b ecause I was afraid of all the people, and of families who hated me? Did I keep quiet and not go out of the door?

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

35 I f only I had one to hear me! See, here my name is written. Let the All-powerful answer me! May what is against me be written down!

Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

36 F or sure I would carry it on my shoulder. I would tie it around my head like a crown.

Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

37 I would tell Him the number of my every step. I would come near Him like a prince.

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

38 “ If my land cries out against me and the ditches made by the plow cry together,

If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

39 i f I have eaten its fruit without paying for it, and caused its owners to die,

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

40 l et thorns grow instead of grain. And let weeds with a bad smell grow instead of barley.” The words of Job are finished.

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.