1 Job Asserts His Integrity “I have made a covenant (agreement) with my eyes;How then could I gaze [lustfully] at a virgin?
2 For what is the portion I would have from God above,And what heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Does not tragedy fall [justly] on the unjustAnd disaster to those who work wickedness?
4 Does not God see my waysAnd count all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood,Or if my foot has chased after deceit,
6 Oh, let Him weigh me with accurate scales,And let God know my integrity.
7 If my step has turned away from the way [of God],Or if my heart has [covetously] followed my eyes,Or if any spot [of guilt] has stained my hands,
8 Then let me plant and [let] another eat [from the results of my labor],And let my crops be uprootedandruined.
9 “If my heart has been enticedandI was made a fool by a woman,Or if I have [covetously] lurked at my neighbor’s door [until his departure],
10 Let my wife grind [meal, like a bond slave] for another [man],And let othersI.e. participate in sexual intimacy.kneel down over her.
11 Foradulteryis a heinousandlustful crime;Moreover, it would be a sinpunishable bythe judges.
12 For it is a fire which consumes to Abaddon (destruction, ruin, final torment);And [illicit passion] would burnandrageanduproot all my [life’s] increase [destroying everything].
13 “If I have despisedandrejected the claim of my male or female servantsWhen they filed a complaint against me,
14 What then could I do when God arises [to judge me]?When He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?
15 Did not He who made me in the womb make my servant,And did not the same One fashion us both in the womb?
16 “If I have withheld from the poor whattheydesired,Or have caused the eyes of the widow to look in vain [for relief],
17 Or have eaten my morsel [of food] alone,And did not share it with the orphan
18 (But from my youth the orphan grew up with me as with a father,And from my mother’s womb I have been the widow’s guide),
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,Or any poor person without covering,
20 If his loins have not thankedandblessed me [for clothing them],And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted my hand against the orphan,Because I saw [that the judges would be] my help at the [council] gate,
22 Then let my shoulder fall away from its socket,And my arm be broken off at the elbow.
23 For tragedy from God is a terror to me,And because of His majestyandexaltation I can do nothing [nor endure facing Him].
24 “If I have put my trustandconfidence in gold,Or have declared fine gold my hopeandassurance,
25 If I gloatedandrejoiced because my wealth was great,And because my [powerful] hand [alone] had obtained so much,
26 If I beheld the sun [as an object of worship] when it shoneOr the moon going in its splendor,
27 And my heart became secretly enticed [by them],And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth [in respect to them],
28 This also would have been [a heinous] sincalling forjudgment,For I would have denied God above.
29 “Have I rejoiced at the destruction of the enemy [who hated me],Or exulted [in malicious triumph] when evil overtook him?
30 No, I have not allowed my mouth to sinBy cursing my enemyandasking for his life.
31 I assure you, the men of my tent have said,‘Who can find one [in need] who has not been satisfied with his meat’?
32 The stranger has not lodged in the street,Because I have opened my door to the traveler.
33 Have I concealed my transgressions like Adamorlike other men,By hiding my wickedness in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great multitude,And the contempt of families terrified me,So that I kept silenceanddid not acknowledge my sin and did not go out of the door?
35 Oh, that I had one to listen to me!Look, here is my signature (mark);Let the Almighty answer me!Let my adversary write out His indictment [and put His vague accusations in tangible form].
36 Surely I would [proudly] bear it on my shoulder,And bind the scroll around my head like a crown.
37 I would count out to Him the number of my steps [with every detail of my life],Approaching His presence asif I werea prince.
38 “For if my land has cried out against me,And its furrows weep together;
39 If I have eaten its fruits without paying for them,Or have caused its [rightful] owners to lose their lives,
40 Let thorns grow instead of wheat,And stinkweedandcockleburs instead of barley.”So the words of Job [with his friends] are finished.