1I made a covenant with mine eyes ; How then should I look upon a virgin ? 2For what is the portion from God above , And the heritage from the Almighty on high ? 3Is it not calamity to the unrighteous , And disaster to the workers of iniquity ? 4Doth not he see my ways , And number all my steps ? 5If I have walked with falsehood , And my foot hath hasted to deceit 6(Let me be weighed in an even balance , That God may know mine integrity ); 7If my step hath turned out of the way , And my heart walked after mine eyes , And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands : 8Then let me sow , and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out .
Job's Treatment of Others
9If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor ’s door ; 10Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her . 11For that were a heinous crime ; Yea , it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges : 12For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase . 13If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me ; 14What then shall I do when God riseth up ? And when he visiteth , what shall I answer him ? 15Did not he that made me in the womb make him ? And did not one fashion us in the womb ?
Job's Reflections on Lust and Adultery
16If I have withheld the poor from their desire , Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail , 17Or have eaten my morsel alone , And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof 18(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And her have I guided from my mother’s womb); 19If I have seen any perish for want of clothing , Or that the needy had no covering ; 20If his loins have not blessed me , And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep ; 21If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless , Because I saw my help in the gate :
Job's Call for Justice
22Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone . 23For calamity from God is a terror to me , And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing . 24If I have made gold my hope , And have said to the fine gold , Thou art my confidence ; 25If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great , And because my hand had gotten much ; 26If I have beheld the sun when it shined , Or the moon walking in brightness , 27And my heart hath been secretly enticed , And my mouth hath kissed my hand : 28This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have denied the God that is above .
Job's Final Appeal
29If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me , Or lifted up myself when evil found him 30(Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse); 31If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat ? 32( The sojourner hath not lodged in the street ; But I have opened my doors to the traveller); 33If like Adam I have covered my transgressions , By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom , 34Because I feared the great multitude , And the contempt of families terrified me , So that I kept silence , and went not out of the door — 35Oh that I had one to hear me ! ( Lo , here is my signature , let the Almighty answer me ) And that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written ! 36Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder ; I would bind it unto me as a crown : 37I would declare unto him the number of my steps ; As a prince would I go near unto him . 38If my land crieth out against me , And the furrows thereof weep together ; 39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money , Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life : 40Let thistles grow instead of wheat , And cockle instead of barley . The words of Job are ended .