31 “I made a covenant with my eyes^(A)
    not to look lustfully at a young woman.^(B)
2 For what is our lot^(C) from God above,
    our heritage from the Almighty on high?^(D)
3 Is it not ruin^(E) for the wicked,
    disaster^(F) for those who do wrong?^(G)
4 Does he not see my ways^(H)
    and count my every step?^(I)

⁵ “If I have walked with falsehood
    or my foot has hurried after deceit^(J)—
⁶ let God weigh me^(K) in honest scales^(L)
    and he will know that I am blameless^(M)—
⁷ if my steps have turned from the path,^(N)
    if my heart has been led by my eyes,
    or if my hands^(O) have been defiled,^(P)
8 then may others eat what I have sown,^(Q)
    and may my crops be uprooted.^(R)

⁹ “If my heart has been enticed^(S) by a woman,^(T)
    or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
¹⁰ then may my wife grind^(U) another man’s grain,
    and may other men sleep with her.^(V)
11 For that would have been wicked,^(W)
    a sin to be judged.^(X)
12 It is a fire^(Y) that burns to Destruction^[a];^(Z)
    it would have uprooted my harvest.^(AA)

¹³ “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,^(AB)
    whether male or female,
    when they had a grievance against me,^(AC)
14 what will I do when God confronts me?^(AD)
    What will I answer when called to account?^(AE)
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?^(AF)
    Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?^(AG)

¹⁶ “If I have denied the desires of the poor^(AH)
    or let the eyes of the widow^(AI) grow weary,^(AJ)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless^(AK)—
¹⁸ but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow^(AL)—
¹⁹ if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,^(AM)
    or the needy^(AN) without garments,
²⁰ and their hearts did not bless me^(AO)
    for warming them with the fleece^(AP) from my sheep,
²¹ if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,^(AQ)
    knowing that I had influence in court,^(AR)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.^(AS)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,^(AT)
    and for fear of his splendor^(AU) I could not do such things.^(AV)

²⁴ “If I have put my trust in gold^(AW)
    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’^(AX)
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,^(AY)
    the fortune my hands had gained,^(AZ)
26 if I have regarded the sun^(BA) in its radiance
    or the moon^(BB) moving in splendor,
²⁷ so that my heart was secretly enticed^(BC)
    and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,^(BD)
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,^(BE)
    for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.^(BF)

²⁹ “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune^(BG)
    or gloated over the trouble that came to him^(BH)—
³⁰ I have not allowed my mouth to sin
    by invoking a curse against their life^(BI)—
³¹ if those of my household have never said,
    ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’^(BJ)—
³² but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
    for my door was always open to the traveler^(BK)—
³³ if I have concealed^(BL) my sin as people do,^[b]
    by hiding^(BM) my guilt in my heart
³⁴ because I so feared the crowd^(BN)
    and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
    that I kept silent^(BO) and would not go outside—

³⁵ (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!^(BP)
    I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
    let my accuser^(BQ) put his indictment in writing.
³⁶ Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,^(BR)
    I would put it on like a crown.^(BS)
37 I would give him an account of my every step;^(BT)
    I would present it to him as to a ruler.^(BU))—

³⁸ “if my land cries out against me^(BV)
    and all its furrows are wet^(BW) with tears,
³⁹ if I have devoured its yield without payment^(BX)
    or broken the spirit of its tenants,^(BY)
40 then let briers^(BZ) come up instead of wheat
    and stinkweed^(CA) instead of barley.”

¹⁷ “What is mankind that you make so much of them,
    that you give them so much attention,^(A)
18 that you examine them every morning^(B)
    and test them^(C) every moment?^(D)
19 Will you never look away from me,^(E)
    or let me alone even for an instant?^(F)
20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you,^(G)
    you who see everything we do?
Why have you made me your target?^(H)
    Have I become a burden to you?^[a](I)
21 Why do you not pardon my offenses
    and forgive my sins?^(J)
For I will soon lie down in the dust;^(K)
    you will search for me, but I will be no more.”^(L)

¹⁵ Though I were innocent, I could not answer him;^(A)
    I could only plead^(B) with my Judge^(C) for mercy.^(D)
16 Even if I summoned him and he responded,
    I do not believe he would give me a hearing.^(E)
17 He would crush me^(F) with a storm^(G)
    and multiply^(H) my wounds for no reason.^(I)
18 He would not let me catch my breath
    but would overwhelm me with misery.^(J)
19 If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty!^(K)
    And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him^[a]?^(L)
20 Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me;
    if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.^(M)

²¹ “Although I am blameless,^(N)
    I have no concern for myself;^(O)
    I despise my own life.^(P)

¹¹ clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together^(A) with bones and sinews?
¹² You gave me life^(B) and showed me kindness,^(C)
    and in your providence^(D) watched over^(E) my spirit.

¹³ “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:^(F)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me^(G)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.^(H)
15 If I am guilty^(I)—woe to me!^(J)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,^(K)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in^[a] my affliction.^(L)

² “Are all these words to go unanswered?^(B)
    Is this talker to be vindicated?^(C)
3 Will your idle talk^(D) reduce others to silence?
    Will no one rebuke you when you mock?^(E)
4 You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawless^(F)
    and I am pure^(G) in your sight.’
⁵ Oh, how I wish that God would speak,^(H)
    that he would open his lips against you
⁶ and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom,^(I)
    for true wisdom has two sides.
    Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.^(J)

¹⁴ My relatives have gone away;
    my closest friends^(A) have forgotten me.
¹⁵ My guests^(B) and my female servants^(C) count me a foreigner;
    they look on me as on a stranger.
¹⁶ I summon my servant, but he does not answer,
    though I beg him with my own mouth.
¹⁷ My breath is offensive to my wife;
    I am loathsome^(D) to my own family.
¹⁸ Even the little boys^(E) scorn me;
    when I appear, they ridicule me.^(F)
19 All my intimate friends^(G) detest me;^(H)
    those I love have turned against me.^(I)
20 I am nothing but skin and bones;^(J)
    I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.^[a]

²¹ “Have pity on me, my friends,^(K) have pity,
    for the hand of God has struck^(L) me.
²² Why do you pursue^(M) me as God does?^(N)
    Will you never get enough of my flesh?^(O)

²³ “Oh, that my words were recorded,
    that they were written on a scroll,^(P)
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool^(Q) on^[b] lead,
    or engraved in rock forever!^(R)
25 I know that my redeemer^[c](S) lives,^(T)
    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.^[d]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
    yet^[e] in^[f] my flesh I will see God;^(U)
27 I myself will see him
    with my own eyes^(V)—I, and not another.
    How my heart yearns^(W) within me!

²⁸ “If you say, ‘How we will hound^(X) him,
    since the root of the trouble lies in him,^[g]’

² “I know that you can do all things;^(A)
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.^(B)
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’^(C)
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know.^(D)

⁴ “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.’^(E)
5 My ears had heard of you^(F)
    but now my eyes have seen you.^(G)
6 Therefore I despise myself^(H)
    and repent^(I) in dust and ashes.”^(J)