¶ I made a covenant¹ with mine eyes; why then should I think² upon a maid?

³For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

Is not destruction⁴ to the wicked? and a strange⁵ punishment to the workers of iniquity?

⁶Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

If⁷ I have walked⁸ with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

Let me be weighed in an even balance⁹, that God may know¹⁰ mine integrity.

If my¹¹ step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart¹² walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved¹³ to mine hands;

Then let me¹⁴ sow, and let another eat; yea, let my¹⁵ offspring be rooted out.

¶ If mine¹⁶ heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I¹⁷ have laid wait at my neighbour's door;

¶ Then let my wife grind¹⁸ unto another, and let¹⁹ others bow down upon her.

For this is an heinous²⁰ crime; yea, it is an iniquity²¹ to be punished by the judges.

²²For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

If I did despise the cause²³ of my manservant or of my maidservant, when²⁴ they contended with me;

What then²⁵ shall I do when God riseth up? and when he²⁶ visiteth, what shall²⁷ I answer him?

Did not he²⁸ that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb²⁹?

¶ If I have withheld³⁰ the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes³¹ of the widow to fail;

Or have³² eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless³³ hath not eaten thereof;

(For from my youth³⁴ he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided³⁵ her³⁶ from my mother's womb;)

³⁷If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

¶³⁸If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

If I have lifted³⁹ up my hand against the fatherless, when⁴⁰ I saw my help in the gate:

Then let⁴¹ mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone⁴².

For destruction⁴³ from God was a terror to me, and by⁴⁴ reason of his highness I could not endure.

¶⁴⁵If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

If I rejoiced⁴⁶ because⁴⁷ my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much⁴⁸;

If I beheld⁴⁹ the sun⁵⁰ when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness⁵¹;

And my heart⁵² hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand⁵³:

This also were an⁵⁴ iniquity to be punished by the judge: for⁵⁵ I should have denied the God that is above.

⁵⁶If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

¶ Neither have⁵⁷ I suffered my mouth⁵⁸ to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

If the men⁵⁹ of my tabernacle said not, Oh⁶⁰ that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

The stranger⁶¹ did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller⁶².

¶ If I covered⁶³ my transgressions as Adam⁶⁴, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

Did I⁶⁵ fear a great multitude, or did the contempt⁶⁶ of families terrify me, that I⁶⁷ kept silence, and went not out of the door?

Oh⁶⁸ that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me,⁶⁹ and that mine⁷⁰ adversary had written a book.

Surely I⁷¹ would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown⁷² to me.

I would declare⁷³ unto him the number of my steps; as a⁷⁴ prince would I go near unto him.

If my land cry⁷⁵ against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain⁷⁶;

If I have eaten the fruits⁷⁷ thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life⁷⁸:

¶ Let thistles⁷⁹ grow instead of wheat, and cockle⁸⁰ instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.