1 I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?

2 For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven?

3 Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers?

4 Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered?

5 If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit;

6 (Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness:)

7 If my steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands;

8 Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted.

9 If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door;

10 Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body.

11 For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges:

12 It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.

13 If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me;

14 What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?

15 Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies?

16 If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose;

17 If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father;

18 (For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;)

19 If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him;

20 If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;

21 If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges;

22 May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.

23 For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.

24 If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you;

25 If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store;

26 If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,

27 A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth;

28 That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high.

29 If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him;

30 (For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;)

31 If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?

32 The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey;

33 If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast,

34 For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door;

35 If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing!

36 Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown;

37 I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended.

38 If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow;

39 If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners;

40 Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants.

1 "I made a covenant with my eyes;

how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

2 For what is the portion from God above,

and the heritage from the Almighty on high?

3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous,

and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

4 Doesn’t he see my ways,

and count all my steps?

5 "If I have walked with falsehood,

and my foot has hurried to deceit

6 (let me be weighed in an even balance,

that God may know my integrity);

7 if my step has turned out of the way,

if my heart walked after my eyes,

if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

8 then let me sow, and let another eat.

Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

9 "If my heart has been enticed to a woman,

and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,

10 then let my wife grind for another,

and let others sleep with her.

11 For that would be a heinous crime.

Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,

12 for it is a fire that consumes to destruction,

and would root out all my increase.

13 "If I have despised the cause of my male servant

or of my female servant,

when they contended with me,

14 what then will I do when God rises up?

When he visits, what will I answer him?

15 Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him?

Didn’t 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,

17 or have eaten my morsel alone,

and the fatherless has not eaten of it

18 (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,

I have guided her from my mother’s womb);

19 if I have seen any perish for want of clothing,

or that the needy had no covering;

20 if his heart hasn’t blessed me,

if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;

21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,

because I saw my help in the gate;

22 then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade,

and my arm be broken from the bone.

23 For calamity from God is a terror to me.

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;’

25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,

and because my hand had gotten much;

26 if I have seen the sun when it shined,

or the moon moving in splendor,

27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,

and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;

28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,

for I should have denied the God who is above.

29 "If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,

or lifted up myself when evil found him

30 (I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin

by asking his life with a curse);

31 if the men of my tent have not said,

‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’

32 (the foreigner has not camped in the street,

but I have opened my doors to the traveler);

33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions,

by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

34 because 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—

35 oh that I had one to hear me!

Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!

Let the accuser write my indictment!

36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,

and I would bind it to me as a crown.

37 I would declare to him the number of my steps.

I would go near to him like a prince.

38 If my land cries out against me,

and its furrows weep together;

39 if I have eaten its fruits without money,

or have caused its owners to lose their life,

40 let briers grow instead of wheat,

and stinkweed instead of barley."

The words of Job are ended.