16 “If I have kept (A)the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of (B)the widow to fail,
17 Or have (C)eaten my morsel alone,
And (D)the orphan has not [a]shared it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from [b]my infancy I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish (E)for lack of clothing,
Or that (F)the needy had no covering,
20 If his waist has not [c]thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against (G)the orphan,
Because I saw [d]I had support (H)in the gate,
22 May my shoulder fall from its [e]socket,
And my (I)arm be broken off [f]at the elbow.
23 For (J)disaster from God is a terror to me,
And because of (K)His majesty I can do nothing.

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Notas al pie

  1. Job 31:17 Lit eaten from it
  2. Job 31:18 Lit my mother’s womb
  3. Job 31:20 Lit blessed; i.e., for clothing
  4. Job 31:21 Lit my help
  5. Job 31:22 Lit neck-joint
  6. Job 31:22 Lit from the bone of the upper arm

The defenseless

16 If I have denied what the poor wanted,
        made a widow’s eyes tired,
17     eaten my morsel alone,
        and not shared any with an orphan
(18     for from my youth I raised the orphan as a father,
        and from my mother’s womb I led the widow);[a]
19     if I ever saw someone dying without clothes, the needy naked;
20     if they haven’t blessed me fervently,[b]
        or if they weren’t warmed by the wool from my sheep;
21     if I have lifted my hand against the orphans,
        when I saw that I had help in the city gate—
22     may my arm fall from my shoulder,
        my forearm be broken at the elbow—
23     for God’s calamity is terror to me;
        I couldn’t endure his splendor.

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Notas al pie

  1. Job 31:18 Heb lacks orphan . . . widow.
  2. Job 31:20 Or his loins