Online Bible

“I have cut a covenant with my ^aeyes;How then could I gaze at a virgin?2 “And what is ^athe portion of God from aboveOr the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?3 “Is it not ^adisaster to the unjustAnd misfortune to ^bthose who work iniquity?4 “Does He not ^asee my waysAnd ^bnumber all my steps?

5 “If I have ^awalked with worthlessness,And my foot has hastened after deceit,6 Let Him ^aweigh me with ¹just scales,And let God know ^bmy integrity.7 “If my step has ^aturned from the way,Or my heart ¹followed my eyes,Or if any ^bspot has stuck to my hands,8 Let me ^asow and another eat,And let my ¹^bcrops be uprooted.

9 “If my heart has been ^aenticed by a woman,Or I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s doorway,10 May my wife ^agrind for another,And let ^bothers ¹kneel down over her.11 “For that would be ^alewdness;Moreover, it would be ^ban iniquity punishable by judges.12 “For it would be ^afire that consumes to ¹^bAbaddon,And would ^cuproot all my ²produce.

13 “If I have ^arejected the justice of my male or female ¹slavesWhen they filed a complaint against me,14 What then could I do when God arises?And when He calls me to account, with what will I respond to Him?15 “Did not ^aHe who made me in the womb make him,And the same one fashion us in the womb?

16 “If I have held back ^athe poor from their desire,Or have caused the eyes of ^bthe widow to fail,17 Or have ^aeaten my morsel alone,And ^bthe orphan has not eaten from it18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,And from the womb of my mother I guided her),19 If I have seen anyone perish ^afor lack of clothing,Or that ^bthe needy had no covering,20 If his loins have not blessed me,And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,21 If I have waved my hand against ^athe orphanBecause I saw my help ^bin the gate,22 Let my shoulder fall from the ¹socket,And my ^aarm be broken off ²at the elbow.23 “For ^adisaster from God is a dread to me,And because of ^bHis exaltedness I can do nothing.

24 “If I have put my confidence in ^agold,And called fine gold my trust,25 If I have ^abeen glad because my wealth was great,And because my hand had found so much,26 If I have ^alooked at the ¹sun when it shoneOr the moon going in splendor,27 And my heart became secretly enticed,And my hand ¹threw a kiss from my mouth,28 That too would have been ^aan iniquity calling for ¹judgment,For I would have ^bdenied God above.

29 “If I ^ahave been glad at the upheaval of the one who hated me,Or ¹exulted when evil found him—30 “But ^aI have not given over my ¹mouth to sinBy asking for his life in ^ba curse—31 “If the men of my tent have not said,‘Who can ¹find one who has not been ^asatisfied with his meat’—32 “The sojourner has not lodged outside,For I have opened my doors to the ¹traveler—33 “If I have ^acovered my transgressions like ¹Adam,By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,34 Because I ^afeared 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!Behold, here is my ¹signature;^aLet the Almighty answer me!And the indictment which my ^baccuser has written,36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;I would bind it to myself like a crown.37 “I would declare to Him ^athe number of my steps;Like ^ba prince I would approach Him—

38 “If my ^aland cries out against me,And its furrows weep together,39 If I have ^aeaten its ¹fruit without money,Or have ^bcaused ²its owners to lose their lives,40 Let ^abriars come out instead of wheat,And stinkweed instead of barley.”The words of Job are ended.