^{1 Ref} A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what -- do I attend to a virgin?

^{2 Ref} And what `is' the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?

^{3 Ref} Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?

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

^{5 Ref} If I have walked with vanity, And my foot doth hasten to deceit,

^{6 Ref} He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my integrity.

^{7 Ref} If my step doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish,

^{8 Ref} Let me sow -- and another eat, And my products let be rooted out.

^{9 Ref} If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait,

^{10 Ref} Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend.

^{11 Ref} For it `is' a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;

^{12 Ref} For a fire it `is', to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root,

^{13 Ref} If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,

^{14 Ref} Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do I answer Him?

^{15 Ref} Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.

^{16 Ref} If I withhold from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume,

^{17 Ref} And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it,

¹⁸ (But from my youth He grew up with me as `with' a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.)

^{19 Ref} If I see `any' perishing without clothing, And there is no covering to the needy,

^{20 Ref} If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,

^{21 Ref} If I have waved at the fatherless my hand, When I see in `him' the gate of my court,

^{22 Ref} My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken.

^{23 Ref} For a dread unto me `is' calamity `from' God, And because of His excellency I am not able.

^{24 Ref} If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, `My trust,'

^{25 Ref} If I rejoice because great `is' my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found,

^{26 Ref} If I see the light when it shineth, And the precious moon walking,

^{27 Ref} And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth,

^{28 Ref} It also `is' a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.

^{29 Ref} If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,

^{30 Ref} Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.

^{31 Ref} If not -- say ye, O men of my tent, `O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'

^{32 Ref} In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.

^{33 Ref} If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity,

^{34 Ref} Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.

^{35 Ref} Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written.

^{36 Ref} If not -- on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it a crown on myself.

^{37 Ref} The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.

^{38 Ref} If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep,

^{39 Ref} If its strength I consumed without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,

^{40 Ref} Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.