1 "I made a covenant with my eyes, so how could I look closely upon a virgin? 2 And what [is] the portion of God from above or the heritage of Shaddai from on high? 3 Is not disaster for [the] evil one and ruin for [the] workers of mischief? 4 Does he not see my ways and count all my steps?
5 "If I have walked with falseness, and my foot has hastened to deceit, 6 let him weigh me in [the] balance of justice, and let God know my blamelessness.
7 If my steps have turned aside from the way, and my heart has walked after my eyes, and my hand has clung to a spot, 8 let me sow, and let another eat, and let my crops be rooted out.
9 "If my heart has been enticed by a woman, and at my neighbor's doorway I have lain in wait, 10 let my wife grind for another, and let other [men] kneel over her, 11 for that [is] a shameful act, and that [is] {a criminal offense}. 12 Indeed, that [is] a fire that will consume up to Abaddon, and it would uproot all my crop.
13 "If I have rejected my male or female slave's case when their complaint [was] against me, 14 then what shall I do when God rises up? And when he enquires, how shall I answer him? 15 Did not he [who] made me in the womb make them? And did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 "If I have withheld [the] desire of [the] poor from [them], or I have caused [the] widow's eyes to fail, 17 or I have eaten my morsel {alone}, and [the] orphan has not eaten from it 18 (for from my childhood he {grew up with} me like a father, and from my mother's womb I guided her), 19 if I have seen [the one who] perishes because of no clothing or [that] there is no covering for the poor, 20 if his loins have not blessed me, or by means of my sheep's fleece he has warmed himself, 21 if I have raised my hand against an orphan because I saw my supporters at the gate, 22 [then] let my shoulder blade fall from [my] shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket. 23 Indeed, the disaster from God [was] a dread for me, and {I was powerless} because of his majesty.
24 "If I have made gold my trust, or I have called fine gold my security, 25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth [was] great or because my hand found a fortune, 26 if I looked at [the] sun when it shone or [at the] moon moving [in] splendor, 27 and {I was secretly enticed}, and {my hand threw them a kiss}, 28 this also [is] an iniquity [to be] judged, for I have deceived God above.
29 "If I have rejoiced at [the] ruin of [the one who] hated me or have exulted when evil overtook him-- 30 no, I have not allowed my mouth to sin, to ask his life with a curse. 31 {Have the people of my tent not said}, '{O that} someone had not been satisfied with his meat'? 32 An alien has not lodged in the street; I have opened my door to the traveler. 33 {Have I concealed} my transgressions as [other] human beings to hide my iniquity in my bosom 34 because I dreaded [the] great multitude, and [the] contempt of clans terrified me, so that I kept quiet, I did not go out of [the] doorway?
35 {O that} {I had} someone hearing me! Here is my signature; let Shaddai answer me! {As for} [the] written communication [that] {my adversary} has written, 36 I would {surely} carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me [like] a crown. 37 I would give him an account of my steps; I would approach him like a noble.
38 If my land has cried out against me, and its furrows have wept together, 39 if I have eaten its yield without payment, or I have caused [the] breath of its owners to die, 40 let thorns grow in place of wheat and noxious weeds in place of barley." The words of Job are ended.