Job 31
1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look with desire on a virgin?
| ברית כרתי לעיני ומה אתבונן על בתולה׃ |
2 For what is the portion from God above, the inheritance from the Almighty on high?
| ומה חלק אלוה ממעל ונחלת שדי ממרמים׃ |
3 I used to think that calamity is for unrighteous people, and that disaster is for doers of wickedness.
| הלא איד לעול ונכר לפעלי און׃ |
4 Does not God see my ways and count all my steps?
| הלא הוא יראה דרכי וכל צעדי יספור׃ |
5 If I have walked with falsehood, if my foot has hurried to deceit,
| אם הלכתי עם שוא ותחש על מרמה רגלי׃ |
6 let me be weighed in an even balance so that God will know my integrity.
| ישקלני במאזני צדק וידע אלוה תמתי׃ |
7 If my step has turned aside from the way, if my heart has gone after my eyes, if any spot has stuck to my hands,
| אם תטה אשרי מני הדרך ואחר עיני הלך לבי ובכפי דבק מאום׃ |
8 then let me sow, and let another eat, and let my crops be uprooted.
| אזרעה ואחר יאכל וצאצאי ישרשו׃ |
9 If my heart has been deceived by a woman, if I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
| אם נפתה לבי על אשה ועל פתח רעי ארבתי׃ |
10 then let my wife grind grain for another, and let others bow down on her.
| תטחן לאחר אשתי ועליה יכרעון אחרין׃ |
11 For that would be a terrible crime; indeed, it would be a crime to be punished by judges.
| כי הוא זמה והיא עון פלילים׃ |
12 For that is a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn all my harvest to the root.
| כי אש היא עד אבדון תאכל ובכל תבואתי תשרש׃ |
13 If I ignored the plea for justice from my male or female servant when they argued with me,
| אם אמאס משפט עבדי ואמתי ברבם עמדי׃ |
14 what then would I do when God rises up to accuse me? When he comes to judge me, how would I answer him?
| ומה אעשה כי יקום אל וכי יפקד מה אשיבנו׃ |
15 Did the one who made me in the womb not make them also? Did not the same one mold us all in the womb?
| הלא בבטן עשני עשהו ויכננו ברחם אחד׃ |
16 If I have withheld poor people from their desire, or if I have caused the eyes of the widow to grow dim from crying,
| אם אמנע מחפץ דלים ועיני אלמנה אכלה׃ |
17 or if I have eaten my morsel alone and not allowed those without fathers to eat it also—
| ואכל פתי לבדי ולא אכל יתום ממנה׃ |
18 because from my youth the orphan grew up with me as with a father, and I have guided his mother, a widow, from my own mother's womb.
| כי מנעורי גדלני כאב ומבטן אמי אנחנה׃ |
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or if I have seen that a needy man had no clothing;
| אם אראה אובד מבלי לבוש ואין כסות לאביון׃ |
20 if his heart has not blessed me because he has not been warmed with the wool of my sheep,
| אם לא ברכוני חלצו ומגז כבשי יתחמם׃ |
21 if I have lifted up my hand against fatherless people because I saw my support in the city gate, then bring charges against me!
| אם הניפותי על יתום ידי כי אראה בשער עזרתי׃ |
22 If I have done these things, then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and let my arm be broken from its joint.
| כתפי משכמה תפול ואזרעי מקנה תשבר׃ |
23 For I dreaded destruction from God; because of his majesty, I was not able to do those things.
| כי פחד אלי איד אל ומשאתו לא אוכל׃ |
24 If I have made gold my hope, and if I have said to fine gold, 'You are what I am confident in';
| אם שמתי זהב כסלי ולכתם אמרתי מבטחי׃ |
25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, because my hand had gotten many possessions, then bring charges against me!
| אם אשמח כי רב חילי וכי כביר מצאה ידי׃ |
26 If I have seen the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in its brightness,
| אם אראה אור כי יהל וירח יקר הלך׃ |
27 and if my heart has been secretly attracted, so that my mouth has kissed my hand in worship of them—
| ויפת בסתר לבי ותשק ידי לפי׃ |
28 this also would be a crime to be punished by judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
| גם הוא עון פלילי כי כחשתי לאל ממעל׃ |
29 If I have rejoiced at the destruction of anyone who hated me or congratulated myself when disaster overtook him, then bring charges against me!
| אם אשמח בפיד משנאי והתעררתי כי מצאו רע׃ |
30 Indeed, I have not even allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse.
| ולא נתתי לחטא חכי לשאל באלה נפשו׃ |
31 If the men of my tent have never said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with Job's food?'
| אם לא אמרו מתי אהלי מי יתן מבשרו לא נשבע׃ |
32 (even the foreigner has never had to stay in the city square, because I have always opened my doors to the traveler), and if that is not so, then bring charges against me!
| בחוץ לא ילין גר דלתי לארח אפתח׃ |
33 If, like mankind, I have hidden my sins by hiding my guilt inside my tunic
| אם כסיתי כאדם פשעי לטמון בחבי עוני׃ |
34 (because I feared the great multitude, because the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside), then bring charges against me!
| כי אערוץ המון רבה ובוז משפחות יחתני ואדם לא אצא פתח׃ |
35 Oh, if only I had someone to hear me! See, here is my signature; let the Almighty answer me! If only I had the indictment that my opponent has written!
| מי יתן לי שמע לי הן תוי שדי יענני וספר כתב איש ריבי׃ |
36 Surely I would carry it openly on my shoulder; I would put it on like a crown.
| אם לא על שכמי אשאנו אענדנו עטרות לי׃ |
37 I would declare to him an accounting for my steps; as a confident prince I would go up to him.
| מספר צעדי אגידנו כמו נגיד אקרבנו׃ |
38 If my land ever cries out against me, and its furrows weep together,
| אם עלי אדמתי תזעק ויחד תלמיה יבכיון׃ |
39 if I have eaten its harvest without paying for it or have caused its owners to lose their lives,
| אם כחה אכלתי בלי כסף ונפש בעליה הפחתי׃ |
40 then let thorns grow instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are finished.
| תחת חטה יצא חוח ותחת שערה באשה תמו דברי איוב׃ |
