I made a covenant
with mine eyes
; why then should I think
upon a maid
?
For what portion of God
is there from above
? and what inheritance
of the Almighty
from on high
?
Is not destruction to the wicked
? and a strange
punishment to the workers
of iniquity
?
Doth not he see my ways
, and count
all my steps
?
If I have walked with vanity
, or if my foot
hath hasted
to deceit
;
Let me be weighed in an even
balance
, that God
may know
mine integrity
.
If my step hath turned out
of the way
, and mine heart
walked
after
mine eyes
, and if any blot
hath cleaved
to mine hands
;
Then let me sow, and let another
eat
; yea, let my offspring
be rooted out
.
If mine heart have been deceived
by a woman
, or if I have laid wait
at my neighbour's
door
;
Then let my wife grind
unto another
, and let others
bow down
upon her.
For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity
to be punished by the judges
.
For it is a fire that consumeth
to destruction
, and would root out
all mine increase
.
If I did despise the cause
of my manservant
or of my maidservant
, when they contended
with me;
What then shall I do when God
riseth up
? and when he visiteth
, what shall I answer
him?
Did not he that made me in the womb
make
him? and did not one
fashion
us in the womb
?
If I have withheld the poor
from their desire
, or have caused the eyes
of the widow
to fail
;
Or have eaten my morsel
myself alone, and the fatherless
hath not eaten
thereof;
(For from my youth he was brought up
with me, as with a father
, and I have guided
her from my mother's
womb
;)
If I have seen any perish
for want of clothing
, or any poor
without covering
;
If his loins have not blessed
me, and if he were not warmed
with the fleece
of my sheep
;
If I have lifted up my hand
against the fatherless
, when I saw
my help
in the gate
:
Then let mine arm fall
from my shoulder blade
, and mine arm
be broken
from the bone
.
For destruction from God
was a terror
to me, and by reason of his highness
I could
not endure.
If I have made gold
my hope
, or have said
to the fine gold
, Thou art my confidence
;
If I rejoiced because my wealth
was great
, and because mine hand
had gotten
much
;
If I beheld the sun
when it shined
, or the moon
walking
in brightness
;
And my heart hath been secretly
enticed
, or my mouth
hath kissed
my hand
:
This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge
: for I should have denied
the God
that is above
.
If I rejoiced at the destruction
of him that hated
me, or lifted up
myself when evil
found
him:
Neither have I suffered my mouth
to sin
by wishing
a curse
to his soul
.
If the men of my tabernacle
said
not, Oh that we had
of his flesh
! we cannot be satisfied
.
The stranger did not lodge
in the street
: but I opened
my doors
to the traveller
.
If I covered my transgressions
as Adam
, by hiding
mine iniquity
in my bosom
:
Did I fear a great
multitude
, or did the contempt
of families
terrify
me, that I kept silence
, and went not out
of the door
?
Oh that one would hear
me! behold, my desire
is, that the Almighty
would answer
me, and that mine adversary
had written
a book
.
Surely I would take it upon my shoulder
, and bind
it as a crown
to me.
I would declare unto him the number
of my steps
; as a prince
would I go near
unto him.
If my land cry
against me, or that the furrows
likewise
thereof complain
;
If I have eaten the fruits
thereof without money
, or have caused the owners
thereof to lose
their life
:
Let thistles grow
instead of wheat
, and cockle
instead of barley
. The words
of Job
are ended
.