XXXI. I amade a covenant with mine beyes;

cWhy then should ccI think upon a maid?

2  For what dportion of God is there from above?

And what dinheritance of the Almighty from eon high?

3  Is not destruction to the wicked?

And fa strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

4  gDoth not he see my ways,

And hcount all my steps?

5  If I have walked with vanity,

Or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

6  * Let me be weighed in an even balance,

That God may know mine integrity.

7  If my step hath turned out of the way,

And imine heart walked after mine eyes,

And if any kblot hath cleaved to my hands;

8  Then llet me sow, and let another eat;

Yea, let my moffspring be rooted out.

9  If nmine heart have been deceived by a woman,

Or if oI have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;

10  Then let my wife pgrind unto another,

And let qothers bow down upon her.

11  For this is a rheinous crime;

Yea, it is san iniquity tto be punished by the judges.

12  For it is ua fire that consumeth to vdestruction,

And would root out all mine increase.

13  If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant,

When they contended with me;

14  cWhat then shall I do when God riseth up?

And when he wvisiteth, xwhat shall I answer him?

15  Did not he that made me in the womb make him?

And * did not yone fashion us in the womb?

16  If zI have withheld the poor from their desire,

Or have acaused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17  zOr have eaten my morsel myself alone,

And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

18  (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father,

And I have bguided * her from my mother’s womb;)

19  If I have seen any cperish dfor want of clothing,

Or any poor dwithout covering;

20  If his loins have not eblessed me,

And if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21  If I have flift up my hand gagainst the fatherless,

When I saw my help in hthe gate:

22  Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade,

And mine arm be broken from * the bone.

23  For idestruction from God was a kterror to me,

And by reason of his khighness I could not endure.

24  If lI have made gold my mhope,

Or have said to the nfine gold, Thou art my confidence;

25  oIf I rejoiced because my wealth was great,

And pbecause mine hand had * gotten much;

26  pqIf I beheld r* the sun when it shined,

Or the moon walking * in brightness;

27  And my heart hath been secretly senticed,

Or * my mouth hath kissed my hand:

28  This also were tan iniquity to be punished by uthe judge:

For I should have xdenied the God that is above.

29  yIf I rejoiced at the zdestruction of him that hated me,

Or alift up myself when bevil found him:

30  (cNeither have I suffered * my mouth to sin

By wishing a curse to his soul.)

31  If the men of my dtabernacle said not,

O that we had eof his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

32  fThe stranger did not lodge in the street:

But I opened my doors * to the traveller.

33  If I gcovered my transgressions * has Adam,

By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

34  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?

35  iO that one would hear me!

* Behold, my desire is, that kthe Almighty would answer me,

And that mine adversary lhad written a book.

36  Surely I would take it mupon my shoulder,

And nbind it as oa crown to me.

37  I would declare unto him the number of my steps;

As a prince would I go near unto him.

38  If my land cry against me,

Or that the furrows likewise thereof * complain;

39  pIf I have eaten * the fruits thereof without money,

Or have * caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

40  Let qthistles grow instead of wheat,

And * cockle instead of barley.

rThe words of Job are ended.