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Job 31
I made a covenant with my eyes
How then should I look upon a virgin?
2 For what is the portion from Eloah above,
And the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous,
And disaster to the workers of iniquity?
4 Does not he see my ways,
And number all my steps?
5 If I have walked with falsehood,
And my foot has hurried to deceit;
6 (Let me be weighed in an even balance,
That Eloah may know my integrity;)
7 If my step has turned out of the way,
And my heart walked after my eyes,
And if any spot has cleaved to my hands:
8 Then let me sow, and let another eat;
Let the produce of my field be rooted out.
9 If my heart has been enticed to a woman,
And I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door;
10 Then let my wife grind to another,
And let others bow down upon her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
12 For it is a fire that consumes to Destruction,
And would root out all my increase.
13 If I have despised the cause of my manservant or of my maid-servant,
When they contended with me;
14 What then shall I do when El rises up?
And when he visits, what shall I answer him?
15 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 poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the fatherless has not eaten of it;
18 (For, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And her have I guided from my mother’s womb;)
19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering;
20 If his loins have not blessed me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
Because I saw my help in the gate:
22 Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade,
And my arm be broken from the bone.
23 For calamity from El is a terror to me,
And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.
24 If I have made gold my hope,
And have said to the fine gold, You are my confidence;
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gotten much;
26 If I have beheld the sun when it shined,
Or the moon walking in brightness,
27 And my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand:
28 This also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
For I should have denied the El that is above.
29 If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me,
Or lifted up myself when evil found him;
30 (I have not suffered my mouth to sin
By asking his life with a curse;)
31 If the men of my tent have not said,
Who can find one that has not been filled with his meat?
32 (The sojourner has not lodged in the street;
But I have opened my doors to the traveler;)
33 If like Adam I have covered my transgressions,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom;
34 Because I feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door
35 Oh that I had one to hear me!
(Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me;)
And that I had the indictment which my adversary has written!
36 Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder;
I would bind it to me as a crown:
37 I would declare to him the number of my steps;
As a prince would I go near to him.
38 If my land cries out against me,
And the furrows of it weep together;
39 If I have eaten the fruits of it without money,
Or have caused the owners of it to lose their life:
40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat,
And cockles instead of barley.
The words of Job are ended.
Job 32
So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than Elohim. 3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were older than he. 5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.
6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said,
I am young, and you are very old;
Therefore I held back, and dared not show you my opinion.
7 I said, Days should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.
8 But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.
9 It is not the great that are wise,
Nor the aged that understand justice.
10 Therefore I said, Listen to me;
I also will show my opinion.
11 Behold, I waited for your words,
I listened for your reasonings,
While you searched out what to say.
12 Yes I attended to you,
And, behold, there was no one that convinced Job,
Or that answered his words, among you.
13 Beware lest you say, We have found wisdom;
El may vanquish him, not man:
14 For he has not directed his words against me;
Neither will I answer him with your speeches.
15 They are amazed, they answer no more:
They have not a word to say.
16 And shall I wait, because they speak not,
Because they stand still, and answer no more?
17 I also will answer my part,
I also will show my opinion.
18 For I am full of words;
The spirit within me constrains me.
19 Behold, my breast is as wine which has no vent;
Like new wine-skins it is ready to burst.
20 I will speak, that I may be refreshed;
I will open my lips and answer.
21 Let me not, I pray you, respect any man’s person;
Neither will I give flattering titles to any man.
22 For I know not to give flattering titles;
Else would my Maker soon take me away.
Job 33
However, Job, I pray you, hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
2 Behold now, I have opened my mouth;
My tongue has spoken in my mouth.
3 My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart;
And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.
4 The Spirit of El has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 If you can, answer me;
Set your words in order before me, stand forth.
6 Behold, I am toward El even as you are:
I also am formed out of the clay.
7 Behold, my terror shall not make you afraid,
Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon you.
8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the voice of your words, saying,
9 I am clean, without transgression;
I am innocent, neither is there any iniquity in me:
10 Behold, he finds occasions against me,
He counts me for his enemy;
11 He puts my feet in the stocks,
He marks all my paths.
12 Behold, I will answer you, in this you are not just;
For Eloah is greater than man.
13 Why did you quarrel against him,
For that he gives not account of any of his matters?
14 For El speaks once,
Yes twice, though man regards it not.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
In slumberings upon the bed;
16 Then he opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction,
17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose,
And hide pride from man;
18 He keeps back his soul from the pit,
And his life from perishing by the sword.
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,
And with continual strife in his bones;
20 So that his life hates bread,
And his soul dainty food.
21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen;
And his bones that were not seen stick out.
22 Yes, his soul draws near to the pit,
And his life to the destroyers.
23 If there be with him an angel,
An interpreter, one among a thousand,
To show to man what is right for him;
24 Then Elohim is gracious to him, and says,
Deliver him from going down to the pit,
I have found a ransom.
25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s;
He returns to the days of his youth.
26 He prays to Eloah, and he is favorable to him,
So that he sees his face with joy:
And he restores to man his righteousness.
27 He sings before men, and says,
I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,
And it profited me not:
28 He has redeemed my soul from going into the pit,
And my life shall behold the light.
29 Lo, all these things does El work,
Twice, or three times, with a man,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 Mark well, O Job, listen to me:
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me:
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, listen you to me:
Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.