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

A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what -- do I attend to a virgin?

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

And what the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?

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 calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?

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

Doth not He see my ways, And all my steps number?

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, And my foot doth hasten to deceit,

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

He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my 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 doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish,

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

Let me sow -- and another eat, And my products let be rooted out.

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

If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait,

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

Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend.

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 it a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;

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

For a fire it, to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root,

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

If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,

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

Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do 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? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.

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 withhold from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume,

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

And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it,

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,)

(But from my youth He grew up with me as a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.)

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

If I see perishing without clothing, And there is no covering to the needy,

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 from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,

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 waved at the fatherless my hand, When I see in the gate of my court,

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

My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken.

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

For a dread unto me calamity God, And because of His excellency I am not able.

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

If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, `My trust,'

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

If I rejoice because great my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found,

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

If I see the light when it shineth, And the precious moon walking,

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 is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth,

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

It also a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God 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 ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,

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

Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.

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

If not -- say ye, O men of my tent, `O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'

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

In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.

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

If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity,

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?

Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.

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!

Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written.

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

If not -- on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it a crown on myself.

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

The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.

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

If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep,

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

If its strength I consumed without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,

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.

Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.