I made a covenant with mine eyes;
How then should I look upon a virgin?
{Or, for what portion should I have of God…And what heritage &c? Is there not calamity &c.?}For what is the portion from God above,
And the heritage from the Almighty on high?
Is it not calamity to the unrighteous,
And disaster to the workers of iniquity?
Doth not he see my ways,
And number all my steps?
If I have walked with falsehood,
And my foot hath hasted to deceit
(Let me be weighed in an even balance,
That God may know mine integrity);
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:
Then let me sow, and let another eat;
Yea, let {Or, my offspring Hebrew: my produce.}the produce of my field be rooted out.
If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman,
And I have laid wait at my neighbor's door;
Then let my wife grind unto another,
And let others bow down upon her.
For that were a heinous crime;
Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
For it is a fire that consumeth unto {Hebrew: Abaddon. See chapter 26:6}Destruction,
And would root out all mine increase.
If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant,
When they contended with me;
What then shall I do when God riseth up?
And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
Did not he that made me in the womb make him?
And did not one fashion us in the womb?
If I have withheld {Or, aught that the poor desired}the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof
(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And her have I guided from my mother's womb);
If I have seen any perish for want of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering;
If his loins have not blessed me,
And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
Because I saw my help in the gate:
Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade,
And mine arm be broken from the bone.
For calamity from God is a terror to me,
And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.
If I have made gold my hope,
And have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gotten much;
If I have beheld {Hebrew: the light.}the sun when it shined,
Or the moon walking in brightness,
And my heart hath been secretly enticed,
And {Hebrew: my hand hath kissed my mouth.}my mouth hath kissed my hand:
This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
For I should have denied the God that is above.
If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me,
Or lifted up myself when evil found him
(Yea, I have not suffered by {Hebrew: palate.}mouth to sin
By asking his life with a curse);
If the men of my tent have not said,
Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?
(The sojourner hath not lodged in the street;
But I have opened my doors to {Hebrew: the way.}the traveller);
If {Or, after the manner of men}like Adam I have covered my transgressions,
By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,
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—
Oh that I had one to hear me!
(Lo, here is my {Hebrew: mark.}signature, let the Almighty answer me)
And that I had the {Hebrew: book.}indictment which mine adversary hath written!
Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder;
I would bind it unto me as a crown:
I would declare unto him the number of my steps;
As a prince would I {Or, present it to him}go near unto him.
If my land crieth out against me,
And the furrows thereof weep together;
If I have eaten the {Hebrew: strength.}fruits thereof without money,
Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
Let {Or, thorns}thistles grow instead of wheat,
And {Or, noisome weeds}cockle instead of barley.
The words of Job are ended.
Querverweise zu Hiob 31,35 Hiob 31,35
Surely I would speak to the Almighty,And I desire to reason with God.
Withdraw thy hand far from me;And let not thy terror make me afraid.
Wherefore hidest thou thy face,And holdest me for thine enemy?
Give now a pledge, be surety for me with thyself;Who is there that will strike hands with me?
Then call thou, and I will answer;Or let me speak, and answer thou me.
He hath also kindled his wrath against me,And he counteth me unto him as one of his adversaries.
Oh that I knew where I might find him!That I might come even to his seat!
I would set my cause in order before him,And fill my mouth with arguments.
I would know the words which he would answer me,And understand what he would say unto me.
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power?Nay; {Or, he would only give heed}but he would give heed unto me.
There the upright might reason with him;So should I be delivered for ever from my judge.
A Psalm of David.Judge me, O Jehovah, for I have walked in mine integrity:I have trusted also in Jehovah {Or, I shall not slide}without wavering.
Oh that my words were now written!Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
Behold, {Or, I am according to thy wish in God's stead}I am toward God even as thou art:I also am formed out of the clay.
That with an iron pen and leadThey were graven in the rock for ever!
Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Who is this that darkeneth counselBy words without knowledge?
Gird up now thy loins like a man;For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Behold, he findeth {Or, causes of alienation}occasions against me,He counteth me for his enemy:
Behold, I am of small account; What shall I answer thee?I lay my hand upon my mouth.
He putteth my feet in the stocks,He marketh all my paths.
Once have I spoken, and I will not answer;Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further.
Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge {Some ancient authorities omit deliver thee.}deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.