Job’s Final Defense Continued

¹ “I made a covenant with my eyes, so¹ how could I look closely upon a virgin?

1. Hebrew “and”

² And what is the portion of God from above or¹ the heritage of Shaddai from on high?

1. Hebrew “and”

³ Is not disaster for the evil one and ruin for the workers of mischief?

⁴ Does he not see my ways and count all my steps?

⁵ “If I have walked with falseness, and my foot has hastened to deceit,

⁶ let him weigh me in the balance of justice, and let God know my blamelessness.

⁷ If my steps have turned aside from the way, and my heart has walked after my eyes, and my hand has clung to a spot,

⁸ let me sow, and let another eat, and let my crops be rooted out.

⁹ “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, and at my neighbor’s doorway I have lain in wait,

¹⁰ let my wife grind for another, and let other men kneel over her,

¹¹ for that is a shameful act, and that is ⌞a criminal offense⌟.¹

1. Literally “an iniquity of judges”

¹² Indeed, that is a fire that will consume up to Abaddon, and it would uproot all my crop.

¹³ “If I have rejected my male or¹ female slave’s case when their complaint was against me,

1. Hebrew “and”

¹⁴ then¹ what shall I do when God rises up? And when he enquires, how shall I answer him?

1. Hebrew “and”

¹⁵ Did not he who made me in the womb make them? And did not one fashion us in the womb?

¹⁶ “If I have withheld the desire of the poor from them, or¹ I have caused the widow’s eyes to fail,

1. Hebrew “and”

¹⁷ or I have eaten my morsel ⌞alone⌟,¹ and the orphan has not eaten from it

1. Literally “to alone me”

¹⁸ (for from my childhood he¹ ⌞grew up with⌟² me like a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided her³),

1. Probably referring to “the orphan”
2. Literally “reared”
3. Probably referring to “the widow”

¹⁹ if I have seen the one who perishes because of no clothing or¹ that there is no covering for the poor,

1. Hebrew “and”

²⁰ if his loins have not blessed me, or¹ by means of my sheep’s fleece he has warmed himself,

1. Hebrew “and”

²¹ if I have raised my hand against an orphan because I saw my supporters at the gate,

²² then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket.

²³ Indeed, the disaster from God was a dread for me, and ⌞I was powerless⌟¹ because of his majesty.

1. Literally “I was not able”

²⁴ “If I have made gold my trust, or¹ I have called fine gold my security,

1. Hebrew “and”

²⁵ if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great or¹ because my hand found a fortune,

1. Hebrew “and”

²⁶ if I looked at the sun when it shone or¹ at the moon moving in splendor,

1. Hebrew “and”

²⁷ and ⌞I was secretly enticed⌟,¹ and ⌞my hand threw them a kiss⌟,²

1. Literally “it was gullible in the secrecy of my heart”
2. Literally “my hand kissed for my mouth”

²⁸ this also is an iniquity to be judged, for I have deceived God above.

²⁹ “If I have rejoiced at the ruin of the one who hated me or¹ have exulted when evil overtook him—

1. Hebrew “and”

³⁰ no,¹ I have not allowed my mouth to sin, to ask his life with a curse.

1. Hebrew “and”

³¹ ⌞Have the people of my tent not said⌟,¹ ‘⌞O that⌟² someone³ had not been satisfied with his meat’?

1. Literally “If the people of my tent have not said”
2. Literally “who shall give”
3. Or “he”

³² An alien has not lodged in the street; I have opened my door to the traveler.

³³ ⌞Have I concealed⌟¹ my transgressions as other human beings to hide my iniquity in my bosom

1. Literally “If I have concealed”

³⁴ because I dreaded the great multitude, and the contempt of clans terrified me, so that I kept quiet, I did not go out of the doorway?

³⁵ ⌞O that⌟¹ ⌞I had⌟² someone hearing me! Here is my signature; let Shaddai answer me! ⌞As for⌟³ the written communication that ⌞my adversary⌟⁴ has written,

1. Literally “Who shall give”
2. Literally “for me”
3. Hebrew “And,” or “But”
4. Literally “the man of my indictment”

³⁶ I would ⌞surely⌟¹ carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me like a crown.

1. Literally “if not”

³⁷ I would give him an account of my steps; I would approach him like a noble.

³⁸ If my land has cried out against me, and its furrows have wept together,

³⁹ if I have eaten its yield without payment, or¹ I have caused the breath of its owners to die,

1. Hebrew “and”

⁴⁰ let thorns grow in place of wheat and noxious weeds in place of barley.” The words of Job are ended.