Study Desk

"I made a covenant with my eyes^(a) not to look lustfully at a young woman.^(b)

For what is our lot^(c) from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high?^(d)

Is it not ruin^(e) for the wicked, disaster^(f) for those who do wrong?^(g)

Does he not see my ways^(h) and count my every step?⁽ⁱ⁾

"If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit^(j)—

let God weigh me^(k) in honest scales^(l) and he will know that I am blameless^(m)—

if my steps have turned from the path,⁽ⁿ⁾ if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands^(o) have been defiled,^(p)

then may others eat what I have sown,^(q) and may my crops be uprooted.^(r)

"If my heart has been enticed^(s) by a woman,^(t) or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door,

then may my wife grind^(u) another man's grain, and may other men sleep with her.^(v)

For that would have been wicked,^(w) a sin to be judged.^(x)

It is a fire^(y) that burns to Destruction^[a];^(z) it would have uprooted my harvest.^(aa)

"If I have denied justice to any of my servants,^(ab) whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me,^(ac)

what will I do when God confronts me?^(ad) What will I answer when called to account?^(ae)

Did not he who made me in the womb make them?^(af) Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?^(ag)

"If I have denied the desires of the poor^(ah) or let the eyes of the widow^(ai) grow weary,^(aj)

if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless^(ak)—

but from my youth I reared them as a father would, and from my birth I guided the widow^(al)—

if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,^(am) or the needy^(an) without garments,

and their hearts did not bless me^(ao) for warming them with the fleece^(ap) from my sheep,

if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,^(aq) knowing that I had influence in court,^(ar)

then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint.^(as)

For I dreaded destruction from God,^(at) and for fear of his splendor^(au) I could not do such things.^(av)

"If I have put my trust in gold^(aw) or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,'^(ax)

if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,^(ay) the fortune my hands had gained,^(az)

if I have regarded the sun^(ba) in its radiance or the moon^(bb) moving in splendor,

so that my heart was secretly enticed^(bc) and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,^(bd)

then these also would be sins to be judged,^(be) for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.^(bf)

"If I have rejoiced at my enemy's misfortune^(bg) or gloated over the trouble that came to him^(bh)—

I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against their life^(bi)—

if those of my household have never said, ‘Who has not been filled with Job's meat?'^(bj)—

but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler^(bk)—

if I have concealed^(bl) my sin as people do,^[b] by hiding^(bm) my guilt in my heart

because I so feared the crowd^(bn) and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent^(bo) and would not go outside—

("Oh, that I had someone to hear me!^(bp) I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser^(bq) put his indictment in writing.

Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,^(br) I would put it on like a crown.^(bs)

I would give him an account of my every step;^(bt) I would present it to him as to a ruler.^(bu))—

"if my land cries out against me^(bv) and all its furrows are wet^(bw) with tears,

if I have devoured its yield without payment^(bx) or broken the spirit of its tenants,^(by)

then let briers^(bz) come up instead of wheat and stinkweed^(ca) instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.^(cb)