¹ I made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I look upon a virgin?

² For what is the portion from God above? And what is the inheritance from the Almighty on high?

³ Is not disaster to the perverse, and calamity to the workers of iniquity?

⁴ Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps?

⁵ If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot has hurried to deceit,

⁶ let me be weighed in an even balance so that God may know my uprightness.

⁷ If my step has turned out of the way, or my heart has walked after my eyes, and if any blot has held fast to my hands;

⁸ then let me sow, and let another eat; and let my harvests be rooted out.

⁹ If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or I have laid wait at my neighbor's door,

¹⁰ then let my wife grind to another, and let others bow down on her.

¹¹ For that would be an evil purpose; yea, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

¹² For it is a fire that devours to the Place of Ruin, and it would root out all my gain.

¹³ If I despised the cause of my man servant or of my slave-girl, when they argued with me;

¹⁴ what then shall I do when God rises up? And when He calls me to account, what shall I answer Him?

¹⁵ Did not He who made me in the womb make him? And did not One shape us in the womb?

¹⁶ If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

¹⁷ or have eaten my bit alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it,

¹⁸ for from my youth he grew up with me, as with a father, and from my mother's womb I guided her;

¹⁹ if I have seen any perish for lack of clothing, or there was no covering for the needy;

²⁰ if his loins have not blessed me, and he warmed himself with the fleece of my flock;

²¹ if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless when I watched over my help in the gate;

²² then let my arm fall from the shoulder blade, and let my arm be broken from the elbow.

²³ For trouble from God is a terror to me, and I could not do anything because of His highness.

²⁴ If I have made gold my hope, or have called fine gold my trust;

²⁵ if I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

²⁶ if I looked to the light when it shone, or the moon walking in brightness,

²⁷ and my heart has been secretly enticed, or my mouth has kissed my hand;

²⁸ this also would be an iniquity for the judges; for I would have denied the God above.

²⁹ If I rejoiced at the ruin of my hater, and I was excited when evil found him;

³⁰ also I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse;

³¹ if the men of my camp did not say, Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat?

³² The stranger did not sleep in the street, for I opened my doors to the traveler.

³³ If I covered my transgressions like Adam, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom,

³⁴ then let me tremble before a great multitude, and be terrified by the scorn of families; and I will be silent and not go out the door.

³⁵ Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold my mark. Let the Almighty answer me, and my Accuser write an indictment.

³⁶ Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and bind it like crowns to me.

³⁷ I would declare to Him the number of my steps; like a prince I would go near Him.

³⁸ If my lands cry against me, or its furrows weep together;

³⁹ if I have eaten its strength without silver, or have caused its owner to expire,

⁴⁰ let thorns come forth instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.