Job - Chapter 31

¹ I had made an agreement with my eyes not to linger on any virgin.

² Now what portion does God allot from above, what fate does Shaddai apportion from his heaven-

³ if not the disasters appropriate to the wicked and the calamities fit for evil-doers?

⁴ But surely he sees how I behave, does he not count all my steps?

⁵ Have I been a fellow-traveller with falsehood, or hastened my steps towards deceit?

⁶ Let him weigh me on accurate scales: then he, God, will recognise my integrity!

⁷ If my feet have wandered from the rightful path, or if my eyes have led my heart astray, or if my hands are smirched with any stain,

⁸ let someone else eat what I have sown and let my young shoots all be rooted out.

⁹ If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbour's door,

¹⁰ let my wife go and grind for someone else, let others have intercourse with her!

¹¹ For I would have committed a sin of lust, a crime punishable by the law,

¹² a fire, indeed, burning all to Perdition, which would have devoured my whole revenue.

¹³ If I have ever infringed the rights of slave or slave-girl in legal actions against me-

¹⁴ what shall I do, when God stands up? What shall I say, when he holds his assize?

¹⁵ Did he not create them in the womb like me, the same God forming us in the womb?

¹⁶ Have I been insensible to the needs of the poor, or let a widow's eyes grow dim?

¹⁷ Have I eaten my bit of bread on my own without sharing it with the orphan?

¹⁸ I, whom God has fostered father-like from childhood, and guided since I left my mother's womb,

¹⁹ have I ever seen a wretch in need of clothing, or the poor with nothing to wear,

²⁰ without his having cause to bless me from his heart, as he felt the warmth of the fleece from my lambs?

²¹ Have I raised my hand against an orphan, presuming on my credit at the gate?

²² If so, let my shoulder fall from its socket, let my arm break off at the elbow!

²³ For the terror of God would fall on me and I could not then stand my ground before his majesty.

²⁴ Have I put my faith in gold, saying to fine gold, 'Ah, my security'?

²⁵ Have I ever gloated over my great wealth, or the riches that my hands have won?

²⁶ Or has the sight of the sun in its glory, or the glow of the moon as it walked the sky,

²⁷ secretly stolen my heart, so that I blew them a kiss?

²⁸ That too would be a criminal offence, to have denied the supreme God.

²⁹ Have I rejoiced at my enemy's misfortune, or exulted when disaster overtook him? -

³⁰ I, who would not allow my tongue to sin or to lay his life under a curse.

³¹ The people of my tent, did they not say, 'Will anyone name a person whom he has not filled with meat?'

³² No stranger ever had to sleep outside, my door was always open to the traveller.

³³ Have I ever concealed my transgression from others or kept my fault a secret in my breast?

³⁴ Have I ever stood in fear of common gossip, or dreaded any family's contempt, and so kept quiet, not venturing out of doors?

³⁵ Will no one give me a hearing? I have said my last word; now let Shaddai reply! When my adversary has drafted his writ against me

³⁶ I shall wear it on my shoulder, and bind it round my head like a royal turban.

³⁷ I shall give him an account of my every step and go as boldly as a prince to meet him.End of the words of Job.

³⁸ If my land cries for vengeance against me and its furrows weep in concert,

³⁹ if I have eaten its produce without paying, and caused the death of its owners,

⁴⁰ let brambles grow instead of wheat, rank weeds instead of barley!

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