|
- "I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?
- "And what is the portion of God from above Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high?
- "Is it not calamity to the unjust And disaster to those who work iniquity?
- "Does He not see my ways And number all my steps?
- "If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot has hastened after deceit,
|
- I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
- For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
- Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
- Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
- If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;
|
- Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity.
- "If my step has turned from the way, Or my heart followed my eyes, Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,
- Let me sow and another eat, And let my crops be uprooted.
- "If my heart has been enticed by a woman, Or I have lurked at my neighbor's doorway,
- May my wife grind for another, And let others kneel down over her.
|
- Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.
- 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;
- Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
- If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;
- Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
|
- "For that would be a lustful crime; Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges.
- "For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon, And would uproot all my increase.
- "If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me,
- What then could I do when God arises? And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?
- "Did not He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb?
|
- For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
- For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
- If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
- What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
- Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
|
- "If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
- Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the orphan has not shared it
- (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And from infancy I guided her),
- If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering,
- If his loins have not thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
|
- If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
- Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
- (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)
- If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;
- If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
|
- If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, Because I saw I had support in the gate,
- Let my shoulder fall from the socket, And my arm be broken off at the elbow.
- "For calamity from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty I can do nothing.
- "If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust,
- If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much;
|
- If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:
- Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
- For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
- If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
- If I rejoice because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
|
- If I have looked at the sun when it shone Or the moon going in splendor,
- And my heart became secretly enticed, And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
- That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, For I would have denied God above.
- "Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy, Or exulted when evil befell him?
- "No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in a curse.
|
- If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
- And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
- This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
- If I rejoice at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
- Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
|
- "Have the men of my tent not said, 'Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat'?
- "The alien has not lodged outside, For I have opened my doors to the traveler.
- "Have I covered my transgressions like Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
- Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, And kept silent and did not go out of doors?
- "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,
|
- If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.
- The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
- If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
- 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?
- Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.
|
- Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, I would bind it to myself like a crown.
- "I would declare to Him the number of my steps; Like a prince I would approach Him.
- "If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together;
- If I have eaten its fruit without money, Or have caused its owners to lose their lives,
- Let briars grow instead of wheat, And stinkweed instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.
|
- Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.
- I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
- If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
- If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
- Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
|
|
|