^{1 Ref} I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin?

^{2 Ref} For what is the portion from God above, And the heritage from the Almighty on high?

^{3 Ref} Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity?

^{4 Ref} Doth not he see my ways, And number all my steps?

^{5 Ref} If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot hath hasted to deceit;

^{6 Ref} (Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity);

^{7 Ref} If my step hath turned out of the way, And my heart walked after mine eyes, And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands:

^{8 Ref} Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

^{9 Ref} If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor's door;

^{10 Ref} Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her.

^{11 Ref} For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:

^{12 Ref} For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase.

^{13 Ref} If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me;

^{14 Ref} What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

^{15 Ref} Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?

^{16 Ref} If I have withheld the poor from `their' desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

^{17 Ref} Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

¹⁸ (Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And her have I guided from my mother's womb);

^{19 Ref} If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering;

^{20 Ref} If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

^{21 Ref} If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate:

^{22 Ref} Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone.

^{23 Ref} For calamity from God is a terror to me, And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.

^{24 Ref} If I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold, `Thou art' my confidence;

^{25 Ref} If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much;

^{26 Ref} If I have beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness,

^{27 Ref} And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath kissed my hand:

^{28 Ref} This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have denied the God that is above.

^{29 Ref} If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him;

^{30 Ref} (Yea, I have not suffered by mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);

^{31 Ref} If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?

^{32 Ref} (The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the traveller);

^{33 Ref} If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,

^{34 Ref} Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door-

^{35 Ref} Oh that I had one to hear me! (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me); And `that I had' the indictment which mine adversary hath written!

^{36 Ref} Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown:

^{37 Ref} I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him.

^{38 Ref} If my land crieth out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together;

^{39 Ref} If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

^{40 Ref} Let thistles grow instead of wheat, And cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

^{1 Ref} I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?

^{2 Ref} For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven?

^{3 Ref} Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers?

^{4 Ref} Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered?

^{5 Ref} If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit;

^{6 Ref} (Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness:)

^{7 Ref} If my steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands;

^{8 Ref} Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted.

^{9 Ref} If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door;

^{10 Ref} Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body.

^{11 Ref} For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges:

^{12 Ref} It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.

^{13 Ref} If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me;

^{14 Ref} What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?

^{15 Ref} Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies?

^{16 Ref} If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose;

^{17 Ref} If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father;

¹⁸ (For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;)

^{19 Ref} If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him;

^{20 Ref} If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;

^{21 Ref} If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges;

^{22 Ref} May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.

^{23 Ref} For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.

^{24 Ref} If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you;

^{25 Ref} If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store;

^{26 Ref} If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,

^{27 Ref} A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth;

^{28 Ref} That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high.

^{29 Ref} If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him;

^{30 Ref} (For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;)

^{31 Ref} If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?

^{32 Ref} The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey;

^{33 Ref} If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast,

^{34 Ref} For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door;

^{35 Ref} If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing!

^{36 Ref} Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown;

^{37 Ref} I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended.

^{38 Ref} If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow;

^{39 Ref} If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners;

^{40 Ref} Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants.