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| The Book of Job. The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
| XXXI |
| [1] | I MADE a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin? |
| [2] | For 1 what is the portion from God above, And the heritage from the Almighty on high? |
| [3] | Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity? |
| [4] | Doth not he see my ways, And number all my steps? |
| [5] | If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot hath hasted to deceit |
| [6] | (Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity); |
| [7] | 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] | Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the 2 produce of my field be rooted out. |
| [9] | If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door; |
| [10] | Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her. |
| [11] | For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges: |
| [12] | For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, 3 And would root out all mine increase. |
| [13] | If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me; |
| [14] | What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? |
| [15] | Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb? |
| [16] | If I have withheld the 4 poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, |
| [17] | 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] | If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering; |
| [20] | If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep; |
| [21] | If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate: |
| [22] | Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone. |
| [23] | For calamity from God is a terror to me, And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing. |
| [24] | If I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; |
| [25] | If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much; |
| [26] | If I have beheld the 5 sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness, |
| [27] | And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my 6 mouth hath kissed my hand: |
| [28] | This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have denied the God that is above. |
| [29] | If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him |
| [30] | (Yea, I have not suffered my mouth 7 to sin By asking his life with a curse); |
| [31] | If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat? |
| [32] | (The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the 8 traveller); |
| [33] | If like 9 Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom, |
| [34] | 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] | Oh that I had one to hear me! (Lo, here is my signature, 10 let the Almighty answer me) And that I had the indictment 11 which mine adversary hath written! |
| [36] | Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown: |
| [37] | I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go 12 near unto him. |
| [38] | If my land crieth out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together; |
| [39] | If I have eaten the fruits 13 thereof without money, Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: |
| [40] | Let thistles 14 grow instead of wheat, And 15 cockle 16 instead of barley. The words of Job are ended. |
| Note 1. Or, For what portion should I have of God … And what heritage &c.? Is there not calamity &c.? [back] |
| Note 2. Or, my offspring.Heb. my produce. [back] |
| Note 3. Heb. Abaddon. See ch. 26. 6. [back] |
| Note 4. Or, to warm them. [back] |
| Note 5. Heb. the light. [back] |
| Note 6. Heb. my hand hath kissed my mouth. [back] |
| Note 7. Heb. palate. [back] |
| Note 8. Heb. the way. [back] |
| Note 9. Or, after the manner of men. [back] |
| Note 10. Heb. mark. [back] |
| Note 11. Heb. book. [back] |
| Note 12. Or, present it to him. [back] |
| Note 13. Heb. strength. [back] |
| Note 14. Or, thorns. [back] |
| Note 15. Or, noisome weeds. [back] |
| Note 16. Or, noisome weeds. [back] |
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