איוב 31

1 בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי לְעֵינָי וּמָה אֶתְבּוֹנֵן עַל־בְּתוּלָֽה׃

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I look upon a maid?

2 וּמֶה ׀ חֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמָּעַל וְֽנַחֲלַת שַׁדַּי מִמְּרֹמִֽים׃

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

3 הֲלֹא־אֵיד לְעַוָּל וְנֵכֶר לְפֹעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

4 הֲלֹא־הוּא יִרְאֶה דְרָכָי וְֽכׇל־צְעָדַי יִסְפּֽוֹר׃

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

5 אִם־הָלַכְתִּי עִם־שָׁוְא וַתַּחַשׁ עַל־מִרְמָה רַגְלִֽי׃

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

6 יִשְׁקְלֵנִי בְמֹֽאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק וְיֵדַע אֱלוֹהַּ תֻּמָּתִֽי׃

Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

7 אִם תִּטֶּה אַשֻּׁרִי מִנִּי הַדָּרֶךְ וְאַחַר עֵינַי הָלַךְ לִבִּי וּבְכַפַּי דָּבַק מֽאוּם׃

If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

8 אֶזְרְעָה וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל וְֽצֶאֱצָאַי יְשֹׁרָֽשׁוּ׃

Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

9 אִם־נִפְתָּה לִבִּי עַל־אִשָּׁה וְעַל־פֶּתַח רֵעִי אָרָֽבְתִּי׃

If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;

10 תִּטְחַן לְאַחֵר אִשְׁתִּי וְעָלֶיהָ יִכְרְעוּן אֲחֵרִֽין׃

Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

11 כִּי־[הִיא] (הוא) זִמָּה (והיא) [וְהוּא] עָוֺן פְּלִילִֽים׃

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

12 כִּי אֵשׁ הִיא עַד־אֲבַדּוֹן תֹּאכֵל וּֽבְכׇל־תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵֽשׁ׃

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

13 אִם־אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי וַאֲמָתִי בְּרִבָם עִמָּדִֽי׃

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

14 וּמָה אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּֽי־יָקוּם אֵל וְכִי־יִפְקֹד מָה אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ׃

What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

15 הֲֽלֹא־בַבֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂנִי עָשָׂהוּ וַיְכֻנֶנּוּ בָּרֶחֶם אֶחָֽד׃

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

16 אִם־אֶמְנַע מֵחֵפֶץ דַּלִּים וְעֵינֵי אַלְמָנָה אֲכַלֶּֽה׃

If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17 וְאֹכַל פִּתִּי לְבַדִּי וְלֹֽא־אָכַל יָתוֹם מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

18 כִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶֽנָּה׃

( For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb; )

19 אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃

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

20 אִם־לֹא בֵרְכוּנִי חֲלָצָו וּמִגֵּז כְּבָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּֽם׃

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

21 אִם־הֲנִיפוֹתִי עַל־יָתוֹם יָדִי כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶה בַשַּׁעַר עֶזְרָתִֽי׃

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

22 כְּתֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָהֿ תִפּוֹל וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָהֿ תִשָּׁבֵֽר׃

Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

23 כִּי פַחַד אֵלַי אֵיד אֵל וּמִשְּׂאֵתוֹ לֹא אוּכָֽל׃

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

24 אִם־שַׂמְתִּי זָהָב כִּסְלִי וְלַכֶּתֶם אָמַרְתִּי מִבְטַחִֽי׃

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

25 אִם־אֶשְׂמַח כִּֽי־רַב חֵילִי וְכִֽי־כַבִּיר מָצְאָה יָדִֽי׃

If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

26 אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹר כִּי יָהֵל וְיָרֵחַ יָקָר הֹלֵֽךְ׃

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

27 וַיִּפְתְּ בַּסֵּתֶר לִבִּי וַתִּשַּׁק יָדִי לְפִֽי׃

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

28 גַּם־הוּא עָוֺן פְּלִילִי כִּֽי־כִחַשְׁתִּי לָאֵל מִמָּֽעַל׃

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

29 אִם־אֶשְׂמַח בְּפִיד מְשַׂנְאִי וְהִתְעֹרַרְתִּי כִּֽי־מְצָאוֹ רָֽע׃

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

30 וְלֹא־נָתַתִּי לַחֲטֹא חִכִּי לִשְׁאֹל בְּאָלָה נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

31 אִם־לֹא אָמְרוּ מְתֵי אׇהֳלִי מִי־יִתֵּן מִבְּשָׂרוֹ לֹא נִשְׂבָּֽע׃

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

32 בַּחוּץ לֹא־יָלִין גֵּר דְּלָתַי לָאֹרַח אֶפְתָּֽח׃

The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.

33 אִם־כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי לִטְמוֹן בְּחֻבִּי עֲוֺנִֽי׃

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

34 כִּי אֶעֱרוֹץ ׀ הָמוֹן רַבָּה וּבוּז־מִשְׁפָּחוֹת יְחִתֵּנִי וָאֶדֹּם לֹא־אֵצֵא פָֽתַח׃

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

35 מִי יִתֶּן־לִי ׀ שֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי הֶן־תָּוִי שַׁדַּי יַעֲנֵנִי וְסֵפֶר כָּתַב אִישׁ רִיבִֽי׃

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

36 אִם־לֹא עַל־שִׁכְמִי אֶשָּׂאֶנּוּ אֶעֶנְדֶנּוּ עֲטָרוֹת לִֽי׃

Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

37 מִסְפַּר צְעָדַי אַגִּידֶנּוּ כְּמוֹ־נָגִיד אֲקָֽרְבֶֽנּוּ׃

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

38 אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק וְיַחַד תְּלָמֶיהָ יִבְכָּיֽוּן׃

If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

39 אִם־כֹּחָהּ אָכַלְתִּי בְלִי־כָסֶף וְנֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלֶיהָ הִפָּֽחְתִּי׃

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

40 תַּחַת חִטָּה ׀ יֵצֵא חוֹחַ וְתַֽחַת־שְׂעֹרָה בׇאְשָׁה תַּמּוּ דִּבְרֵי אִיּֽוֹב׃

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.