Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
1“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin? | 1“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman. |
2For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high? | 2For what has God above chosen for us? What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high? |
3Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity? | 3Isn’t it calamity for the wicked and misfortune for those who do evil? |
4Does He not see my ways and count my every step? | 4Doesn’t he see everything I do and every step I take? |
5If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit, | 5“Have I lied to anyone or deceived anyone? |
6let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity. | 6Let God weigh me on the scales of justice, for he knows my integrity. |
7If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if impurity has stuck to my hands, | 7If I have strayed from his pathway, or if my heart has lusted for what my eyes have seen, or if I am guilty of any other sin, |
8then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted. | 8then let someone else eat the crops I have planted. Let all that I have planted be uprooted. |
9If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door, | 9“If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lusted for my neighbor’s wife, |
10then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her. | 10then let my wife serve another man; let other men sleep with her. |
11For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged. | 11For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. |
12For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest. | 12It is a fire that burns all the way to hell. It would wipe out everything I own. |
13If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me, | 13“If I have been unfair to my male or female servants when they brought their complaints to me, |
14what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account? | 14how could I face God? What could I say when he questioned me? |
15Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb? | 15For God created both me and my servants. He created us both in the womb. |
16If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail, | 16“Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows? |
17if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless— | 17Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with orphans? |
18though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow— | 18No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father, and all my life I have cared for widows. |
19if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak, | 19Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes and the needy with nothing to wear, |
20if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep, | 20did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm? |
21if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate, | 21“If I raised my hand against an orphan, knowing the judges would take my side, |
22then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket. | 22then let my shoulder be wrenched out of place! Let my arm be torn from its socket! |
23For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower. | 23That would be better than facing God’s judgment. For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there? |
24If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security, | 24“Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold? |
25if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much, | 25Have I gloated about my wealth and all that I own? |
26if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, | 26“Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies, or the moon walking down its silver pathway, |
27so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, | 27and been secretly enticed in my heart to throw kisses at them in worship? |
28this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high. | 28If so, I should be punished by the judges, for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven. |
29If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him— | 29“Have I ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies, or become excited when harm came their way? |
30I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse— | 30No, I have never sinned by cursing anyone or by asking for revenge. |
31if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’— | 31“My servants have never said, ‘He let others go hungry.’ |
32but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler— | 32I have never turned away a stranger but have opened my doors to everyone. |
33if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart, | 33“Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do, concealing my guilt in my heart? |
34because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside— | 34Have I feared the crowd or the contempt of the masses, so that I kept quiet and stayed indoors? |
35(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment. | 35“If only someone would listen to me! Look, I will sign my name to my defense. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write out the charges against me. |
36Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown. | 36I would face the accusation proudly. I would wear it like a crown. |
37I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)— | 37For I would tell him exactly what I have done. I would come before him like a prince. |
38if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together, | 38“If my land accuses me and all its furrows cry out together, |
39if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants, | 39or if I have stolen its crops or murdered its owners, |
40then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job. | 40then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” Job’s words are ended. |
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