איוב 31

1 ברית כרתי לעיני ומה אתבונן על בתולה׃

I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look with desire on a virgin?

2 ומה חלק אלוה ממעל ונחלת שדי ממרמים׃

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

3 הלא איד לעול ונכר לפעלי און׃

I used to think that calamity is for unrighteous people, and that disaster is for doers of wickedness.

4 הלא הוא יראה דרכי וכל צעדי יספור׃

Does not God see my ways and count all my steps?

5 אם הלכתי עם שוא ותחש על מרמה רגלי׃

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

6 ישקלני במאזני צדק וידע אלוה תמתי׃

let me be weighed in an even balance so that God will know my integrity.

7 אם תטה אשרי מני הדרך ואחר עיני הלך לבי ובכפי דבק מאום׃

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,

8 אזרעה ואחר יאכל וצאצאי ישרשו׃

then let me sow, and let another eat, and let my crops be uprooted.

9 אם נפתה לבי על אשה ועל פתח רעי ארבתי׃

If my heart has been deceived by a woman, if I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door,

10 תטחן לאחר אשתי ועליה יכרעון אחרין׃

then let my wife grind grain for another, and let others bow down on her.

11 כי הוא זמה והיא עון פלילים׃

For that would be a terrible crime; indeed, it would be a crime to be punished by judges.

12 כי אש היא עד אבדון תאכל ובכל תבואתי תשרש׃

For that is a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn all my harvest to the root.

13 אם אמאס משפט עבדי ואמתי ברבם עמדי׃

If I ignored the plea for justice from my male or female servant when they argued with me,

14 ומה אעשה כי יקום אל וכי יפקד מה אשיבנו׃

what then would I do when God rises up to accuse me? When he comes to judge me, how would I answer him?

15 הלא בבטן עשני עשהו ויכננו ברחם אחד׃

Did the one who made me in the womb not make them also? Did not the same one mold us all in the womb?

16 אם אמנע מחפץ דלים ועיני אלמנה אכלה׃

If I have withheld poor people from their desire, or if I have caused the eyes of the widow to grow dim from crying,

17 ואכל פתי לבדי ולא אכל יתום ממנה׃

or if I have eaten my morsel alone and not allowed those without fathers to eat it also—

18 כי מנעורי גדלני כאב ומבטן אמי אנחנה׃

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.

19 אם אראה אובד מבלי לבוש ואין כסות לאביון׃

If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or if I have seen that a needy man had no clothing;

20 אם לא ברכוני חלצו ומגז כבשי יתחמם׃

if his heart has not blessed me because he has not been warmed with the wool of my sheep,

21 אם הניפותי על יתום ידי כי אראה בשער עזרתי׃

if I have lifted up my hand against fatherless people because I saw my support in the city gate, then bring charges against me!

22 כתפי משכמה תפול ואזרעי מקנה תשבר׃

If I have done these things, then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and let my arm be broken from its joint.

23 כי פחד אלי איד אל ומשאתו לא אוכל׃

For I dreaded destruction from God; because of his majesty, I was not able to do those things.

24 אם שמתי זהב כסלי ולכתם אמרתי מבטחי׃

If I have made gold my hope, and if I have said to fine gold, 'You are what I am confident in';

25 אם אשמח כי רב חילי וכי כביר מצאה ידי׃

if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, because my hand had gotten many possessions, then bring charges against me!

26 אם אראה אור כי יהל וירח יקר הלך׃

If I have seen the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in its brightness,

27 ויפת בסתר לבי ותשק ידי לפי׃

and if my heart has been secretly attracted, so that my mouth has kissed my hand in worship of them—

28 גם הוא עון פלילי כי כחשתי לאל ממעל׃

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

29 אם אשמח בפיד משנאי והתעררתי כי מצאו רע׃

If I have rejoiced at the destruction of anyone who hated me or congratulated myself when disaster overtook him, then bring charges against me!

30 ולא נתתי לחטא חכי לשאל באלה נפשו׃

Indeed, I have not even allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse.

31 אם לא אמרו מתי אהלי מי יתן מבשרו לא נשבע׃

If the men of my tent have never said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with Job's food?'

32 בחוץ לא ילין גר דלתי לארח אפתח׃

(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!

33 אם כסיתי כאדם פשעי לטמון בחבי עוני׃

If, like mankind, I have hidden my sins by hiding my guilt inside my tunic

34 כי אערוץ המון רבה ובוז משפחות יחתני ואדם לא אצא פתח׃

(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!

35 מי יתן לי שמע לי הן תוי שדי יענני וספר כתב איש ריבי׃

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!

36 אם לא על שכמי אשאנו אענדנו עטרות לי׃

Surely I would carry it openly on my shoulder; I would put it on like a crown.

37 מספר צעדי אגידנו כמו נגיד אקרבנו׃

I would declare to him an accounting for my steps; as a confident prince I would go up to him.

38 אם עלי אדמתי תזעק ויחד תלמיה יבכיון׃

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

39 אם כחה אכלתי בלי כסף ונפש בעליה הפחתי׃

if I have eaten its harvest without paying for it or have caused its owners to lose their lives,

40 תחת חטה יצא חוח ותחת שערה באשה תמו דברי איוב׃

then let thorns grow instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are finished.