Study Desk

"I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I look at a virgin?

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

"And what is the portion of God from above, Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

"Is it not disaster to the criminal, And misfortune to those who practice injustice?

Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

"Does He not see my ways, And count all my steps?

Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

"If I have walked with deception, And my foot has hurried after deceit,

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity.

Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.

"If my step has turned from the way, Or my heart followed my eyes, Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,

If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

Let me sow and another eat, And let my crops be uprooted.

Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

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

If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;

May my wife grind grain for another, And let others kneel down over her.

Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

"For that would be a lustful crime; Moreover, it would be wrongdoing punishable by judges.

For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

"For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon, And would uproot all my increase.

For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

"If I have rejected the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me,

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

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

What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

"Did He who made me in the womb not make him, And the same One create us in the womb?

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

"If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the orphan has not shared it

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

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

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)

If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering,

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

If his waist has not thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, Because I saw I had support in the gate,

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

May my shoulder fall from its socket, And my arm be broken off at the elbow.

Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

"For disaster from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty I can do nothing.

For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

"If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust,

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had obtained so much;

If I rejoice because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

If I have looked at the sun when it shone, Or the moon going in splendor,

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

And my heart was secretly enticed, And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

That too would have been a guilty deed calling for judgment, For I would have denied God above.

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

"Have I rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy, Or become excited when evil found him?

If I rejoice at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

"No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in a curse.

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

"Have the people of my tent not said, 'Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat'?

If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

"The stranger has not spent the night outside, For I have opened my doors to the traveler.

The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.

"Have I covered my wrongdoings like a man, By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

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

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

"Oh that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature; Let the Almighty answer me! And the indictment which my adversary has written,

Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

I would certainly carry it on my shoulder, I would tie it to myself like a garland.

Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

"I would declare to Him the number of my steps; Like a prince, I would approach Him.

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

"If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together;

If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

If I have eaten its fruit without money, Or have caused its owners to lose their lives,

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

May the thorn-bush grow instead of wheat, And stinkweed instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.