Study Desk

"I have made a covenant with my ^(a)eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?

"And what is ^(b)the portion of God from above Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

"Is it not ^(c)calamity to the unjust And disaster to ^(d)those who work iniquity?

"Does He not ^(e)see my ways And ^(f)number all my steps?

"If I have ^(g)walked with falsehood, And my foot has hastened after deceit,

Let Him ^(h)weigh me with ^[a]accurate scales, And let God know ⁽ⁱ⁾my integrity.

"If my step has ^(j)turned from the way, Or my heart ^[b]followed my eyes, Or if any ^(k)spot has stuck to my hands,

Let me ^(l)sow and another eat, And let my ^[c](m)crops be uprooted.

"If my heart has been ⁽ⁿ⁾enticed by a woman, Or I have lurked at my neighbor's doorway,

May my wife ^(o)grind for another, And let ^(p)others ^[d]kneel down over her.

"For that would be a ^(q)lustful crime; Moreover, it would be ^(r)an iniquity punishable by judges.

"For it would be ^(s)fire that consumes to ^[e](t)Abaddon, And would ^(u)uproot all my ^[f]increase.

"If I have ^(v)despised the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me,

What then could I do when God arises? And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?

"Did not ^(w)He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb?

"If I have kept ^(x)the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of ^(y)the widow to fail,

Or have ^(z)eaten my morsel alone, And ^(aa)the orphan has not ^[g]shared it

(But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And from ^[h]infancy I guided her),

If I have seen anyone perish ^(ab)for lack of clothing, Or that ^(ac)the needy had no covering,

If his loins have not ^[i]thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

If I have lifted up my hand against ^(ad)the orphan, Because I saw ^[j]I had support ^(ae)in the gate,

Let my shoulder fall from the ^[k]socket, And my ^(af)arm be broken off ^[l]at the elbow.

"For ^(ag)calamity from God is a terror to me, And because of ^(ah)His ^[m]majesty I can do nothing.

"If I have put my confidence in ^(ai)gold, And called fine gold my trust,

If I have ^(aj)gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much;

If I have ^(ak)looked at the ^[n]sun when it shone Or the moon going in splendor,

And my heart became secretly enticed, And my hand ^[o]threw a kiss from my mouth,

That too would have been ^(al)an iniquity calling for ^[p]judgment, For I would have ^(am)denied God above.

"Have I ^(an)rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy, Or ^[q]exulted when evil befell him?

"^[r]No, ^(ao)I have not ^[s]allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in ^(ap)a curse.

"Have the men of my tent not said, ‘Who can ^[t]find one who has not been ^(aq)satisfied with his meat'?

"The alien has not lodged outside, For I have opened my doors to the ^[u]traveler.

"Have I ^(ar)covered my transgressions like ^[v]Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,

Because I ^(as)feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, And kept silent and did not go out of doors?

"Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my ^[w]signature; ^(at)Let the Almighty answer me! And the indictment which my ^(au)adversary has written,

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, I would bind it to myself like a crown.

"I would declare to Him ^(av)the number of my steps; Like ^(aw)a prince I would approach Him.

"If my ^(ax)land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together;

If I have ^(ay)eaten its ^[x]fruit without money, Or have ^(az)caused ^[y]its owners to lose their lives,

Let ^(ba)briars ^[z]grow instead of wheat, And stinkweed instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.

Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was ^(a)righteous in his own eyes.

But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the ^(b)Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger burned ^(c)because he justified himself ^[a](d)before God.

And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

Now Elihu had waited ^[b]to speak to Job because they were years older than he.

And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men his anger burned.

So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite ^[c]spoke out and said, "I am young in years and you are ^(e)old; Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you ^[d]what I think.

"I ^[e]thought ^[f](f)age should speak, And ^[g]increased years should teach wisdom.

"But it is a spirit in man, And the ^(g)breath of the Almighty gives them ^(h)understanding.

"The ^[h]abundant in years may not be wise, Nor may ⁽ⁱ⁾elders understand justice.

"So I ^[i]say, ‘Listen to me, I too will tell ^[j]what I think.'

"Behold, I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, While you ^[k]pondered what to say.

"I even paid close attention to you; ^[l]Indeed, there was no one who refuted Job, Not one of you who answered his words.

"Do not say, ‘^(j)We have found wisdom; God will ^[m]rout him, not man.'

"For he has not arranged his words against me, Nor will I reply to him with your ^[n]arguments.

"They are dismayed, they no longer answer; Words have ^[o]failed them.

"Shall I wait, because they do not speak, Because they ^[p]stop and no longer answer?

"I too will answer my share, I also will tell my opinion.

"For I am full of words; The spirit within me constrains me.

"Behold, my belly is like unvented wine, Like new wineskins it is about to burst.

"Let me speak that I may get relief; Let me open my lips and answer.

"Let me now ^(k)be partial to no one, Nor flatter any man.

"For I do not know how to flatter, Else my Maker would soon take me away.