Job 31
1I made a brit (covenant) with mine eyes; 1 how then look I upon a betulah? 1
2For what chelek of Eloah is there from above? 1 And what nachalah of Shaddai from on high? 1
3Is not destruction to the wicked? 1 And a disaster to the poalei aven (workers of wrong)? 1
4Doth not He see my derech, 1 and count all my steps? 1
5If I have walked with shav (vanity, falsehood), 1 or if my regel hath hasted to mirmah (deceit), 1
6Let me be weighed in scales of tzedek 1 that Eloah may know mine tom (integrity). 1
7If my step hath turned out of the derech, 1 and mine lev walked after mine eyes, 1 and if any mum hath cleaved to mine hands, 1
8Then let me sow, and let acher (another) eat; 1 yea, let my harvest be uprooted. 1
9If mine lev have been deceived by an isha, 1 or if I have lurked at petach (doorway) of my re'a; 1
10Then let my isha grind for another, 1 and let another kneel over her. 1
11For this is a heinous crime; 1 yea, it is an avon to be brought before judges. 1
12For it is an eish that consumeth to Abaddon, 1 and would root out all mine increase. 1
13If I did despise the mishpat (cause) of my eved or of my amah, 1 when they contended with me, 1
14What then shall I do when El riseth up? 1 And when He visiteth, what shall I answer Him? 1
15Did not He that made me in the beten make them? 1 And did not Echad fashion us in the rechem? 1
16If I have withheld the poor from their chefetz (desire), 1 or have caused the eyes of the almanah to grow weary, 1
17Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, 1 and the yatom hath not eaten thereof; 1
18(For from my youth he was brought up with me, 1 as with an av, 1 and I have guided her from beten immi;) 1
19If I have seen any oved (one perishing) for want of clothing, 1 or any evyon (needy) without covering, 1
20If his heart did not bless me for warming him 1 with the giz (fleece) of my sheep, 1
21If I have lifted up my yad against the yatom, 1 when I saw my influence in the sha'ar (gate, court); 1
22Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder, 1 and mine zero'a be broken from its socket. 1
23For destruction from El was a pachad to me, 1 and by reason of His majesty I could not endure. 1
24If I have made zahav my hope, 1 or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my security, 1
25If I rejoice because my wealth was rav (great), 1 and because mine yad had gotten much, 1
26If I beheld the ohr when it shined, 1 or the yarei'ach moving in splendor, 1
27And my lev hath been secretly enticed, 1 or my mouth hath kissed my yad [in heathen worship]; 1
28This also were an avon to be punished by the judge; 1 for then I would have been unfaithful, denying El that is on high. 1
29If I rejoice at the misfortune of him that hated me, 1 or gloated when rah found him, 1
30Neither have I allowed my mouth to sin 1 by invoking a curse to his nefesh. 1
31Have the men of my ohel not said, 1 Where can we find one who has not been sated with his basar (meat)? 1
32The stranger did not spend the night in the street, 1 but I opened my delet to the ger. 1
33If I concealed my peysha like Adam, 1 by hiding mine avon in my heart, 1
34Did I fear a great multitude, 1 or did the contempt of mishpekhot terrify me, 1 that I kept silence, and went not out of doors? 1
35Oh that one would hear me! 1 See, my tav [signature], that Shaddai would answer me, 1 and that mine adversary had written a sefer [of indictment]; 1
36Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder, 1 and bind it to me like atarot (crowns). 1
37I would declare unto Him the number of my steps; 1 like a nagid (prince) would I go near unto Him. 1
38If my adamah cry against me, 1 or if the furrows had wept together, 1
39If I have eaten the yield thereof without kesef (payment), 1 or have broken the nefesh of the tenants thereof, 1
40Let thistles grow instead of chittim (wheat), and weed instead of barley. The divrei Iyov are ended.