1 I made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a young woman?

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

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

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

3 Is it not disaster for the wicked and calamity for those who do evil?

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

4 Does He not see my ways and count all my steps?

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

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

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

6 let God weigh me with honest scales, and He will know my integrity.

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

7 If my steps have turned from the way, or if my heart has followed my eyes, or if any stain has clung to my hands,

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 then may I sow, but another eat, and may my offspring be uprooted.

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

9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door,

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

10 then may my wife grind grain for another, and may others kneel over her.

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

11 For that would be wickedness, a sin to be judged.

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

12 It is a fire that burns to destruction, consuming all my harvest.

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

13 If I have denied justice to my male or female servants when they had a grievance against me,

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

14 what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when He calls me to account?

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

15 Did not the same One who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same God form us both within our mothers?

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

16 If I have withheld the desires of the poor or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

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

17 if I have eaten my morsel alone, without sharing with the fatherless—

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

18 but from my youth I raised him as a father would, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—

(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 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments,

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

20 and their hearts did not bless me for warming them with the fleece from my sheep—

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

21 If I have raised my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my support in the gate,

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

22 then let my shoulder fall from its socket, and let my arm be broken off at the joint.

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

23 For I have always feared disaster from God, and because of His majesty, I could not do such a thing.

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

24 If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my security,

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

25 if I rejoiced because my wealth was abundant or because my hand had obtained much,

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

26 if I have looked at the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,

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

27 and my heart was secretly enticed, and my hand offered them a kiss in worship,

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

28 then this too would be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God above.

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

29 If I have rejoiced at my enemy's misfortune or gloated when harm came to him—

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

30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against their life—

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

31 if those of my household have never said, ‘Who has not been satisfied with Job’s meat?’

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

32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler—

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

33 if I have concealed my sin as people do, hiding my guilt in my heart,

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

34 because I so feared the crowd and the contempt of clans terrified me that I kept silent and would not go outside—

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 Oh, that someone would hear me! I sign now my defense; let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write out his charges in a book.

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 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown.

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

37 I would give him an account of my every step; I would present it to him like a prince.

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

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

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

39 if I have eaten its produce without payment and caused the death of its owners,

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

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

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