1 “ I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?

2 F or what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?

“And what is the portion of God from above Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

3 I s it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

“Is it not calamity to the unjust And disaster to those who work iniquity?

4 D oesn’t he see my ways, and number all my steps?

“Does He not see my ways And number all my steps?

5 “ If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit

“If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot has hastened after deceit,

6 ( let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);

Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity.

7 i f my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

“If my step has turned from the way, Or my heart followed my eyes, Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,

8 t hen let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

Let me sow and another eat, And let my crops be uprooted.

9 “ If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman, Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,

10 t hen let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.

May my wife grind for another, And let others kneel down over her.

11 F or that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges:

“For that would be a lustful crime; Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges.

12 F or it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.

“For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon, And would uproot all my increase.

13 “ If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me;

“If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me,

14 W hat then shall I do when God rises up? When he visits, what shall I answer him?

What then could I do when God arises? And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?

15 D idn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?

“Did not He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb?

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

“If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

17 o r have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it

Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the orphan has not shared it

18 ( no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, her have I guided from my mother’s womb);

(But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And from infancy I guided her),

19 i f I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering,

20 i f his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;

If his loins have not thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

21 i f I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,

If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, Because I saw I had support in the gate,

22 t hen let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.

Let my shoulder fall from the socket, And my arm be broken off at the elbow.

23 F or calamity from God is a terror to me. Because his majesty, I can do nothing.

“For calamity from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty I can do nothing.

24 “ If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’

“If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust,

25 I f I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much;

26 i f I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,

If I have looked at the sun when it shone Or the moon going in splendor,

27 a nd my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,

And my heart became secretly enticed, And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,

28 t his also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for I should have denied the God who is above.

That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, For I would have denied God above.

29 “ If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him;

“Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy, Or exulted when evil befell him?

30 ( yes, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);

“ No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in a curse.

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

“Have the men of my tent not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat’?

32 ( the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);

“The alien has not lodged outside, For I have opened my doors to the traveler.

33 i f like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

“Have I covered my transgressions like Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,

34 b ecause I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—

Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, And kept silent and did not go out of doors?

35 o h that I had one to hear me! (behold, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me); let the accuser write my indictment!

“Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature; Let the Almighty answer me! And the indictment which my adversary has written,

36 S urely I would carry it on my shoulder; and I would bind it to me as a crown.

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, I would bind it to myself like a crown.

37 I would declare to him the number of my steps. as a prince would I go near to him.

“I would declare to Him the number of my steps; Like a prince I would approach Him.

38 I f my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;

“If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together;

39 i f I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,

If I have eaten its fruit without money, Or have caused its owners to lose their lives,

40 l et briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.

Let briars grow instead of wheat, And stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.