Job 31
1 “I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].
[Pepigi fœdus cum oculis meis, ut ne cogitarem quidem de virgine.
2 [If I did not do what I promised, ] what would God who is in heaven [MTY] do to me [RHQ]? Almighty [God] would certainly not [RHQ] give me any reward!
Quam enim partem haberet in me Deus desuper, et hæreditatem Omnipotens de excelsis?
3 [Previously I thought that] surely [RHQ] it was unrighteous people who would experience calamities, and that it was those who do what is wrong who would experience disasters.
Numquid non perditio est iniquo, et alienatio operantibus injustitiam?
4 God certainly sees [RHQ] everything that I do, [so why is he causing me to suffer?] [It is as though] he counts every step that I take.
Nonne ipse considerat vias meas, et cunctos gressus meos dinumerat?
5 [“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
Si ambulavi in vanitate, et festinavit in dolo pes meus,
6 I request only that God judge me fairly [MET], and if he does that, he will know that I (am innocent/have not done what is wrong).
appendat me in statera justa, et sciat Deus simplicitatem meam.
7 If [it were true that] I have stopped living righteously, or [that] I [SYN] have desired the things that I look at [MTY], or [that] I am guilty of any other sin,
Si declinavit gressus meus de via, et si secutum est oculos meos cor meum, et si manibus meis adhæsit macula,
8 then I hope/wish that when I plant [seeds], someone else will [harvest the crops and] eat [them] and that others will uproot the [fruit trees] that I planted.
seram, et alius comedat, et progenies mea eradicetur.
9 “If [it were true that] I [SYN] have been attracted by some other man’s wife, or [that] I have hidden myself and waited outside [the] door [to] her [house],
Si deceptum est cor meum super muliere, et si ad ostium amici mei insidiatus sum,
10 I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
scortum alterius sit uxor mea, et super illam incurventur alii.
11 [For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
Hoc enim nefas est, et iniquitas maxima.
12 My [committing adultery] would [produce in me a fire like] [MET] the fire that burns people in hell, and it would burn up everything that I own. (questioned)
Ignis est usque ad perditionem devorans, et omnia eradicans genimina.
13 “And, if [it were true that] I have ever refused to listen to one of my male or female servants when they complained to me about something,
Si contempsi subire judicium cum servo meo et ancilla mea, cum disceptarent adversum me:
14 God would arise [and declare that he would punish me]; and when he would do that, what would I do? If he would ask me [about what I have done], (what would I answer?/I would not be able to answer.) [RHQ]
quid enim faciam cum surrexerit ad judicandum Deus? et cum quæsierit, quid respondebo illi?
15 God, who created me, certainly also created my servants [RHQ]; surely he is the one who formed them and me in our mothers’ wombs [RHQ]; [so we all should behave toward each other equally].
Numquid non in utero fecit me, qui et illum operatus est, et formavit me in vulva unus?
16 “I have guided orphans from the time that they were born; I have taken care of them since they were young. So, if [it were true that] I ate all my food myself and did not share some of it with orphans, or [that] I refused to give poor people the things that they wanted, or [that] I caused widows to live (in despair/without hope [that they would receive any help from anyone]),
Si negavi quod volebant pauperibus, et oculos viduæ expectare feci;
si comedi buccellam meam solus, et non comedit pupillus ex ea
(quia ab infantia mea crevit mecum miseratio, et de utero matris meæ egressa est mecum);
19 or [that] I had seen people die [from cold] because they had no clothes, or [that] I had seen poor people who did not have clothes [to keep them warm],
si despexi pereuntem, eo quod non habuerit indumentum, et absque operimento pauperem;
20 and they were not able to become warm [from clothes made] from the wool of my sheep with the result that they thanked me for [giving them clothes, ]
si non benedixerunt mihi latera ejus, et de velleribus ovium mearum calefactus est;
21 or if [it were true that] I threatened to strike any orphan because I knew that the elders at the city gates would (decide in my favor);
si levavi super pupillum manum meam, etiam cum viderem me in porta superiorem:
22 [if those things were true about me], I hope/desire that my shoulder blade would be torn out and my arm be torn from my shoulder.
humerus meus a junctura sua cadat, et brachium meum cum suis ossibus confringatur.
23 I always feared that God would cause me to experience a great disaster [if I did any of those evil things], and I would not have been able to endure the powerful [things that he would do to punish me].
Semper enim quasi tumentes super me fluctus timui Deum, et pondus ejus ferre non potui.
24 “If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
Si putavi aurum robur meum, et obrizo dixi: Fiducia mea;
25 or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
si lætatus sum super multis divitiis meis, et quia plurima reperit manus mea;
26 or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon
si vidi solem cum fulgeret, et lunam incedentem clare,
27 and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
et lætatum est in abscondito cor meum, et osculatus sum manum meam ore meo:
28 those things also would be sins for which the judges would say that I must be punished, because I would have been rejecting God [by doing those things].
quæ est iniquitas maxima, et negatio contra Deum altissimum.
29 “[It is not true that] I [SYN] sinned by requesting God to curse people who hated me with the result that God would cause them to die. It is also not true that I was glad when they were ruined or that I rejoiced when they experienced disasters [DOU].
Si gavisus sum ad ruinam ejus qui me oderat, et exsultavi quod invenisset eum malum:
non enim dedi ad peccandum guttur meum, ut expeterem maledicens animam ejus.
31 [It is also not true that] I never welcomed travelers to stay in my tent or that I did not open my doors to them, but [forced them to] sleep in the streets. [All] the men who work for me certainly know that [RHQ]!
Si non dixerunt viri tabernaculi mei: Quis det de carnibus ejus, ut saturemur?
foris non mansit peregrinus: ostium meum viatori patuit.
33 Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
Si abscondi quasi homo peccatum meum, et celavi in sinu meo iniquitatem meam;
34 and I never remained silent and refused to go outside of my home because I was very (afraid of/worried about) what people would say [about me], and that they would hate/scorn me.
si expavi ad multitudinem nimiam, et despectio propinquorum terruit me: et non magis tacui, nec egressus sum ostium.
35 “I wish/desire that there was someone who would hear what I am saying! I solemnly declare [that all that I have said is true]. I wish that those who oppose me would write down [on a scroll] the evil things that they say that I did.
Quis mihi tribuat auditorem, ut desiderium meum audiat Omnipotens, et librum scribat ipse qui judicat,
36 [If they did that, ] I would wear that scroll on my shoulder, or wear it on top of my head, [in order that everyone could see it].
ut in humero meo portem illum, et circumdem illum quasi coronam mihi?
37 I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
Per singulos gradus meos pronuntiabo illum, et quasi principi offeram eum.
38 If [it were true that] I have stolen land, with the result that [it was as though] its furrows cried out to accuse me of stealing;
Si adversum me terra mea clamat, et cum ipsa sulci ejus deflent:
39 or [if it were true that] I have eaten the crops that grew in someone else’s fields without paying [for those crops], with the result that those farmers who grew those crops died [from hunger];
si fructus ejus comedi absque pecunia, et animam agricolarum ejus afflixi:
40 then I wish/desire that thorns would grow [in my fields] instead of wheat. May bad weeds grow instead of barley!” That is the end of what Job said [to his three friends].
pro frumento oriatur mihi tribulus, et pro hordeo spina.] Finita sunt verba Job.
