איוב 31

1 בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי לְעֵינָי וּמָה אֶתְבּוֹנֵן עַל־בְּתוּלָֽה׃

“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

2 וּמֶה ׀ חֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמָּעַל וְֽנַחֲלַת שַׁדַּי מִמְּרֹמִֽים׃

For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?

3 הֲלֹא־אֵיד לְעַוָּל וְנֵכֶר לְפֹעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

4 הֲלֹא־הוּא יִרְאֶה דְרָכָי וְֽכָל־צְעָדַי יִסְפּֽוֹר׃

Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?

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

“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit

6 יִשְׁקְלֵנִי בְמֹאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק וְיֵדַע אֱלוֹהַּ תֻּמָּתִֽי׃

(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);

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

if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

8 אֶזְרְעָה וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל וְֽצֶאֱצָאַי יְשֹׁרָֽשׁוּ׃

then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

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

“If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door,

10 תִּטְחַן לְאַחֵר אִשְׁתִּי וְעָלֶיהָ יִכְרְעוּן אֲחֵרִֽין׃

then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.

11 כִּי־הוא הִיא זִמָּה והיא וְהוּא עָוֺן פְּלִילִֽים׃

For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,

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

for it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.

13 אִם־אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי וַאֲמָתִי בְּרִבָם עִמָּדִֽי׃

“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,

14 וּמָה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה כִּֽי־יָקוּם אֵל וְכִֽי־יִפְקֹד מָה אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ׃

what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?

15 הֲ‍ֽלֹא־בַבֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂנִי עָשָׂהוּ וַיְכֻנֶנּוּ בָּרֶחֶם אֶחָֽד׃

Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t 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 וְלֹא־אָכַל יָתוֹם מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it

18 כִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶֽנָּה׃

(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, 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 that the needy had no covering;

20 אִם־לֹא בֵרֲכוּנִי חלצו חֲלָצָיו וּמִגֵּז כְּבָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּֽם׃

if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;

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

if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;

22 כְּתֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָה תִפּוֹל וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָה תִשָּׁבֵֽר׃

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

23 כִּי פַחַד אֵלַי אֵיד אֵל וּמִשְּׂאֵתוֹ לֹא אוּכָֽל׃

For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.

24 אִם־שַׂמְתִּי זָהָב כִּסְלִי וְלַכֶּתֶם אָמַרְתִּי מִבְטַחִֽי׃

“If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’

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

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

26 אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹר כִּי יָהֵל וְיָרֵחַ יָקָר הֹלֵֽךְ׃

if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendour,

27 וַיִּפְתְּ בַּסֵּתֶר לִבִּי וַתִּשַּׁק יָדִי לְפִֽי׃

and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;

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

this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.

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

“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him

30 וְלֹא־נָתַתִּי לַחֲטֹא חִכִּי לִשְׁאֹל בְּאָלָה נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

(I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);

31 אִם־לֹא אָמְרוּ מְתֵי אָהֳלִי מִֽי־יִתֵּן מִבְּשָׂרוֹ לֹא נִשְׂבָּֽע׃

if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’

32 בַּחוּץ לֹא־יָלִין גֵּר דְּלָתַי לָאֹרַח אֶפְתָּֽח׃

(the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveller);

33 אִם־כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי לִטְמוֹן בְּחֻבִּי עֲוֺֽנִי׃

if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

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

because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—

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

oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!

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

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.

37 מִסְפַּר צְעָדַי אַגִּידֶנּוּ כְּמוֹ־נָגִיד אֲקָרֲבֶֽנּוּ׃

I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.

38 אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק וְיַחַד תְּלָמֶיהָ יִבְכָּיֽוּן׃

If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;

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

if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,

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

let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.