Job Asserts His Integrity

311 A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what—do I attend to a virgin? 2 And what 'is' the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights? 3 Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity? 4 Doth not He see my ways, And all my steps number? 5 If I have walked with vanity, And my foot doth hasten to deceit, 6 He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my integrity. 7 If my step doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish, 8 Let me sow—and another eat, And my products let be rooted out.

9 If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait, 10 Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend. 11 For it 'is' a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity; 12 For a fire it 'is', to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root, 13 If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me, 14 Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do I answer Him? 15 Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.

16 If I withhold from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume, 17 And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it, 18 (But from my youth He grew up with me as 'with' a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.) 19 If I see 'any' perishing without clothing, And there is no covering to the needy, 20 If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself, 21 If I have waved at the fatherless my hand, When I see in 'him' the gate of my court, 22 My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken. 23 For a dread unto me 'is' calamity 'from' God, And because of His excellency I am not able.

24 If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, 'My trust,' 25 If I rejoice because great 'is' my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found, 26 If I see the light when it shineth, And the precious moon walking, 27 And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth, 28 It also 'is' a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above. 29 If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him, 30 Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life. 31 If not—say ye, O men of my tent, 'O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.' 32 In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.

33 If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity, 34 Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening. 35 Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written. 36 If not—on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it a crown on myself. 37 The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him. 38 If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep, 39 If its strength I consumed without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out, 40 Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.

Job Bewails His Birth

31 After this hath Job opened his mouth, and revileth his day. 2 And Job answereth and saith:— 3 Let the day perish in which I am born, And the night that hath said: 'A man-child hath been conceived.' 4 That day—let it be darkness, Let not God require it from above, Nor let light shine upon it. 5 Let darkness and death-shade redeem it, Let a cloud tabernacle upon it, Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days. 6 That night—let thick darkness take it, Let it not be united to days of the year, Into the number of months let it not come. 7 Lo! that night—let it be gloomy, Let no singing come into it. 8 Let the cursers of day mark it, Who are ready to wake up Leviathan. 9 Let the stars of its twilight be dark, Let it wait for light, and there is none, And let it not look on the eyelids of the dawn. 10 Because it hath not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from mine eyes.

11 Why from the womb do I not die? From the belly I have come forth and gasp! 12 Wherefore have knees been before me? And what 'are' breasts, that I suck? 13 For now, I have lain down, and am quiet, I have slept—then there is rest to me, 14 With kings and counsellors of earth, These building wastes for themselves. 15 Or with princes—they have gold, They are filling their houses 'with' silver. 16 (Or as a hidden abortion I am not, As infants—they have not seen light.) 17 There the wicked have ceased troubling, And there rest do the wearied in power. 18 Together prisoners have been at ease, They have not heard the voice of an exactor, 19 Small and great 'are' there the same. And a servant 'is' free from his lord.

20 Why giveth He to the miserable light, and life to the bitter soul? 21 Who are waiting for death, and it is not, And they seek it above hid treasures. 22 Who are glad—unto joy, They rejoice when they find a grave. 23 To a man whose way hath been hidden, And whom God doth shut up? 24 For before my food, my sighing cometh, And poured out as waters 'are' my roarings. 25 For a fear I feared and it meeteth me, And what I was afraid of doth come to me. 26 I was not safe—nor was I quiet—Nor was I at rest—and trouble cometh!