בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי לְעֵינָי וּמָה אֶתְבּוֹנֵן עַל־בְּתוּלָה

Job again declares his decency and good character: I established a covenant with my eyes, I placed an obligation upon my eyes, that I would not look upon a virgin. Although I am not forbidden to a maiden, I refrained from such matters due to my desire to conduct myself with holiness.

וּמֶה חֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמָּעַל ונַחֲלַת שַׁדַּי מִמְּרֹמִים

What is the portion of God from above, given to me for my righteousness, and what is the inheritance of the Almighty that is apportioned to me from on high?

הֲלֹא אֵיד לְעַוָּל וְנֶכֶר לְפֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן

Isn’t it right that God should bring calamity for the unjust, and alienation [nekher] for the performers of iniquity? Let Him estrange Himself [yitnaker] from such people, not me.

הֲלֹא־הוּא יִרְאֶה דְרָכָי וְכָל־צְעָדַי יִסְפּוֹר

After all, God knows everything about me: Doesn’t He see my ways and count all my steps? Every little action of mine is revealed before Him.

אִם־הָלַכְתִּי עִם־שָׁוְא וַתַּחַשׁ עַל מִרְמָה רַגְלִי

He knows whether I have walked with futility, or lies, and if my foot has hastened to perform deceit,

יִשְׁקְלֵנִי בְמֹאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק וְיֵדַע אֱלוֹהַּ תֻּמָּתִי

let Him weigh me on a just scale, and God will know my virtue; that I am innocent and that I deserved all the good that I received.

אִם תִּטֶּה אַשֻּׁרִי מִנִּי הַדָּרֶךְ וְאַחַר עֵינַי הָלַךְ לִבִּי וּבְכַפַּי דָּבַק מאוּם

Did my feet deviate from the proper way, and my heart follow my eyes, was I attracted by items that were not mine; and did anything, a blemish or a forbidden or impure object, stick to my palms?

אֶזְרְעָה וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל וְצֶאֱצָאַי יְשֹׁרָשׁוּ

If so, I would accept my punishment: Let me sow, but another eat the fruit of my labor; and let my offspring be uprooted and destroyed.

אִם־נִפְתָּה לִבִּי עַל־אִשָּׁה וְעַל־פֶּתַח רֵעִי אָרָבְתִּי

Was my heart seduced by a married woman and I lay in wait at my neighbor’s entrance for him to exit so that I could enter his house?

תִּטְחַן לְאַחֵר אִשְׁתִּי וְעָלֶיהָ יִכְרְעוּן אֲחֵרִין

If so, let my wife grind for another, be given over to another, and let others kneel over her, have relations with her.

כִּי הִיא זִמָּה והוּא עָוֹן פְּלִילִים

A person should not engage in adultery, for that is lewdness, and it is a heinous iniquity.

כִּי אֵשׁ הִיא עַד־אֲבַדּוֹן תֹּאכֵל וּבְכָל־תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵשׁ

For it is a fire that consumes until destruction, and it will uproot all my produce.

אִם־אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי וַאֲמָתִי בְּרִבָם עִמָּדִי

Did I despise justice for my slave and my maidservant and treat them unfairly when they quarreled with me?

ומָה אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּי־יָקוּם אֵל וְכִי־יִפְקֹד מָה אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ

What then will I do when God rises to demand justice for them in trial, and when He reckons my deeds; what will I answer Him?

הֲלֹא־בַבֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂנִי עָשָׂהוּ וַיְכוּנֶנּוּ בָּרֶחֶם אֶחָד

Didn’t He make him, my servant, in the belly that made me? He was created in the same manner as myself. And didn’t He form us both in one womb? Since we are both people, how can I disparage him?

אִם־אֶמְנַע מֵחֵפֶץ דַּלִּים ועֵינֵי אַלְמָנָה אֲכַלֶּה

Did I deprive the poor of their needs and cause the widow’s eyes, desperately looking for my help, to yearn? Did I disappoint her?

וְאֹכַל פִּתִּי לְבַדִּי וְלֹא־אָכַל יָתוֹם מִמֶּנָּה

Did I eat my bread alone? Did an orphan not partake of it?

כִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶנָּה

For from my youth, these characteristics and moral qualities raised me up as a father, and from the belly of my mother I acted so, by helping others.

אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָאֶבְיוֹן

Did I see one miserable wanderer lost without garments, or give no clothing for the indigent and remain indifferent?

אִם־לֹא בֵרְכוּנִי חֲלָצָו וּמִגֵּז כְּבָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּם

Truly, his loins blessed me; I take an oath that I covered him with garments, thereby warming him and causing his loins to bless me, and from the fleece of my shorn sheep, he would be warmed.

אִם־הֲנִיפוֹתִי עַל־יָתוֹם יָדִי כִּי־אֶרְאֶה בַשַּׁעַר עֶזְרָתִי

If I raised up my hand against an orphan to strike him because I saw my support in the gate, the court; if I took advantage of my preferable status and my connections with the judges to plot against helpless orphans,

כְּתֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָה תִפּוֹל וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָה תִשָּׁבֵר

then let my shoulder fall from its shoulder blade and shatter, and my forearm be broken from the upper arm, or from the shoulder.

כִּי־פַחַד אֵלַי אֵיד אֵל וּמִשְּׂאֵתוֹ לֹא אוּכָל

For calamity, punishment, from God is a fright to me, and I am unable to bear its weight; I cannot act in such a manner due to my fear of the severity of His punishment.

אִם־שַׂמְתִּי זָהָב כִּסְלִי וְלַכֶּתֶם אָמַרְתִּי מִבְטַחִי

Did I place my dependence on gold; have I trusted in or did I say to fine gold: You are my reliance?

אִם־אֶשְׂמַח כִּי־רַב חֵילִי וְכִי כַבִּיר מָצְאָה יָדִי

Did I rejoice because my wealth, or power, was great, or because my hand had found abundance?

אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹר כִּי יָהֵל וְיָרֵחַ יָקָר הֹלֵךְ

Did I see the light of the sun when it shines, or the passing of the precious moon,

וַיִּפְתְּ בַּסֵּתֶר לִבִּי וַתִּשַּׁק יָדִי לְפִי

and my heart was secretly enticed, and my mouth kissed my hand? Did I send a kiss from afar to the sun, moon, stars, or constellations, in an idolatrous gesture?

גַּם הוּא עָוֹן פְּלִילִי כִּי כִחַשְׁתִּי לָאֵל מִמָּעַל

It too, such a deed, would have been a heinous iniquity, for although the action would usually not be seen by others, and even if it were, it would not be considered a serious offense, nevertheless I would have denied God above, I would have betrayed Him.

אִם־אֶשְׂמַח בְּפִיד מְשַׂנְאִי וְהִתְעֹרַרְתִּי כִּי־מְצָאוֹ רָע

Did I rejoice at the downfall of my enemy or was I bolstered and felt strengthened when evil found him?

ולֹא־נָתַתִּי לַחֲטֹא חִכִּי לִשְׁאֹל בְּאָלָה נַפְשׁוֹ

I did not allow my palate to sin with my speech, not even by asking for his life with a curse, by cursing my enemy that he should die.

אִם־לֹא אָמְרוּ מְתֵי אָהֳלִי מִי־יִתֵּן מִבְּשָׂרוֹ לֹא נִשְׂבָּע

Didn’t the men of my tent, my guests, say: The meat that he has fed us is so tasty; if only we will never be sated from his meat? We wish that our stomachs were not full from his meat, so that we could eat more and more of it.

בַּחוּץ לֹא־יָלִין גֵּר דְּלָתַי לָאֹרַח אֶפְתָּח

When I was at the height of my power and influence, the stranger did not stay the night outside, but in my house; my doors I opened for the guest.

אִם כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי לִטְמוֹן בְּחֻבִּי עֲוֹנִי

Truly, I take an oath that I did not hide my transgressions as people do, concealing my iniquity in my hiding place

כִּי אֶעֱרוֹץ הָמוֹן רַבָּה וּבוּז־מִשְׁפָּחוֹת יְחִתֵּנִי וָאֶדֹּם לֹא־אֵצֵא פתַח

because I feared the great horde and the contempt of families breaking me, and I would be silent and not go out of the entrance. I did not remain silent due to social pressures, and did not refrain from venturing out of my home on account of others. On the contrary, if any sins had weighed upon my conscience, I would have voiced them. I was not afraid of public opinion.

מִי יִתֶּן־לִי שֹׁמֵעַ לִי הן תָּוִי שַׁדַּי יַעֲנֵנִי וסֵפֶר כָּתַב אִישׁ רִיבִי

If only there was someone to hear me proclaim this declaration of innocence; that my life is clean of all sin, in thought, speech, and deed, and in every area of human activity; behold my writing, my written statement, let the Almighty answer me and testify about me, and let the scroll of indictment be written by my adversary, so that the matter will be out in the open.

אִם־לֹא עַל־שִׁכְמִי אֶשָּׂאֶנּוּ אֶעֶנְדֶנּוּ עֲטָרוֹת לִי

Truly, wouldn’t I carry it, the book written against me, or the person who wrote it, on my shoulder, wouldn’t I tie it on me, upon my head, as a crown? I would greatly respect it.

מִסְפַּר צְעָדַי אַגִּידֶנּוּ כְּמוֹ נָגִיד אֲקָרְבֶנּוּ

I would tell him the number of my steps; I would reveal all the necessary details before the writer of this indictment; like one approaches a ruler I would draw him near.

אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק וְיַחַד תְּלָמֶיהָ יִבְכָּיוּן

Job concludes this speech with a parable from the world of agriculture. In this parable, he again accepts severe punishments upon himself, if he deserves them. However, he is convinced that he is clear of any blame. If my land would cry out against me, my corrupt deeds, and its furrows would weep together,

אִם־כֹּחָהּ אָכַלְתִּי בְלִי־כָסֶף וְנֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלֶיהָ הִפָּחְתִּי

if I have eaten its produce without silver, by stealing it, or if I deflated and pained the spirit of its owners,

תַּחַת חִטָּה יֵצֵא חוֹחַ וְתַחַת־שְׂעֹרָה בָאְשָׁה תַּמּוּ דִּבְרֵי אִיּוֹב

I would curse myself: Let thistles come out of my field instead of wheat, and instead of barley, stinkweed, bad or malodorous weeds. The words of Job are concluded.