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Job Asserts His Integrity

¹ "I have made a covenant with my ^(C1)eyes;
How then could I look at a virgin?

² "And what is ^(C1)the portion of God from above,
Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

³ "Is it not ^(C1)disaster to the criminal,
And misfortune to ^(C2)those who practice injustice?

⁴ "Does He not ^(C1)see my ways,
And ^(C2)count all my steps?

⁵ "If I have ^(C1)walked with deception,
And my foot has hurried after deceit,

⁶ Let Him ^(C1)weigh me with ^(F1)accurate scales,
And let God know ^(C2)my integrity.

⁷ "If my step has ^(C1)turned from the way,
Or my heart ^(F1)followed my eyes,
Or if any ^(C2)spot has stuck to my hands,

⁸ Let me ^(C1)sow and another eat,
And let my ^(F1)(C2)crops be uprooted.

⁹ "If my heart has been ^(C1)enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor's doorway,

¹⁰ May my wife ^(C1)grind grain for another,
And let ^(C2)others ^(F1)kneel down over her.

¹¹ "For that would be a ^(C1)lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be ^(C2)wrongdoing punishable by judges.

¹² "For it would be ^(C1)fire that consumes to ^(F1)(C2)Abaddon,
And would ^(C3)uproot all my ^(F2)increase.

¹³ "If I have ^(C1)rejected the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,

¹⁴ What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, how am I to answer Him?

¹⁵ "Did ^(C1)He who made me in the womb not make him,
And the same One create us in the womb?

¹⁶ "If I have kept ^(C1)the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of ^(C2)the widow to fail,

¹⁷ Or have ^(C1)eaten my morsel alone,
And ^(C2)the orphan has not ^(F1)shared it

¹⁸ (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from ^(F1)my infancy I guided her),

¹⁹ If I have seen anyone perish ^(C1)for lack of clothing,
Or that ^(C2)the needy had no covering,

²⁰ If his waist has not ^(F1)thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

²¹ If I have lifted up my hand against ^(C1)the orphan,
Because I saw ^(F1)I had support ^(C2)in the gate,

²² May my shoulder fall from its ^(F1)socket,
And my ^(C1)arm be broken off ^(F2)at the elbow.

²³ "For ^(C1)disaster from God is a terror to me,
And because of ^(C2)His majesty I can do nothing.

²⁴ "If I have put my confidence in ^(C1)gold,
And called fine gold my trust,

²⁵ If I have ^(C1)gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had obtained so much;

²⁶ If I have ^(C1)looked at the ^(F1)sun when it shone,
Or the moon going in splendor,

²⁷ And my heart was secretly enticed,
And my hand ^(F1)threw a kiss from my mouth,

²⁸ That too would have been ^(C1)a guilty deed calling for ^(F1)judgment,
For I would have ^(C2)denied God above.

²⁹ "Have I ^(C1)rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy,
Or become excited when evil found him?

³⁰ "^(F1)No, ^(C1)I have not ^(F2)allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in ^(C2)a curse.

³¹ "Have the people of my tent not said,
'Who can ^(F1)find one who has not been ^(C1)satisfied with his meat'?

³² "The stranger has not spent the night outside,
For I have opened my doors to the ^(F1)traveler.

³³ "Have I ^(C1)covered my wrongdoings like a man,
By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,

³⁴ Because I ^(C1)feared the great multitude
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And I kept silent and did not go out of doors?

³⁵ "Oh that I had one to hear me!
Here is my ^(F1)signature;
^(C1)Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my ^(C2)adversary has written,

³⁶ I would certainly carry it on my shoulder,
I would tie it to myself like a garland.

³⁷ "I would declare to Him ^(C1)the number of my steps;
Like ^(C2)a prince, I would approach Him.

³⁸ "If my ^(C1)land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;

³⁹ If I have ^(C1)eaten its ^(F1)fruit without money,
Or have ^(C2)caused ^(F2)its owners to lose their lives,

⁴⁰ May the ^(C1)thorn-bush ^(F1)grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley."
The words of Job are ended.