The Book of Job, Chapter 31איוב 31

בְּ֭רִית כָּרַ֣תִּי לְעֵינָ֑י וּמָ֥ה אֶ֝תְבּוֹנֵ֗ן עַל בְּתוּלָֽה

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

וּמֶ֤ה חֵ֣לֶק אֱל֣וֹהַּ מִמָּ֑עַל וְֽנַחֲלַ֥ת שַׁ֝דַּ֗י מִמְּרֹמִֽים

For what portion of God from above? and inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

הֲלֹא אֵ֥יד לְעַוָּ֑ל וְ֝נֵ֗כֶר לְפֹ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן

not destruction to the wicked? and a strange to the workers of iniquity?

הֲלֹא ה֭וּא יִרְאֶ֣ה דְרָכָ֑י וְֽכָל צְעָדַ֥י יִסְפּֽוֹר

Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

אִם הָלַ֥כְתִּי עִם שָׁ֑וְא וַתַּ֖חַשׁ עַל מִרְמָ֣ה רַגְלִֽי

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot has hasted to deceit;

יִשְׁקְלֵ֥נִי בְמֹאזְנֵי צֶ֑דֶק וְיֵדַ֥ע אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ תֻּמָּתִֽי

Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

אִ֥ם תִּטֶּ֣ה אַשֻּׁרִי֮ מִנִּ֪י הַ֫דָּ֥רֶךְ וְאַחַ֣ר עֵ֭ינַי הָלַ֣ךְ לִבִּ֑י וּ֝בְכַפַּ֗י דָּ֣בַק מֻאֽוּם

If my step has turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot has cleaved to mine hands;

אֶ֭זְרְעָה וְאַחֵ֣ר יֹאכֵ֑ל וְֽצֶאֱצָאַ֥י יְשֹׁרָֽשׁוּ

let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

אִם נִפְתָּ֣ה לִ֭בִּי עַל אִשָּׁ֑ה וְעַל פֶּ֖תַח רֵעִ֣י אָרָֽבְתִּי

If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;

תִּטְחַ֣ן לְאַחֵ֣ר אִשְׁתִּ֑י וְ֝עָלֶ֗יהָ יִכְרְע֥וּן אֲחֵרִֽין

let my wife grind to another, and let others bow down upon her.

כִּי הוא הִ֥יא זִמָּ֑ה והיא וְ֝ה֗וּא עָוֺ֥ן פְּלִילִֽים

For this an heinous crime; yea, it an iniquity the judges.

כִּ֤י אֵ֣שׁ הִ֭יא עַד אֲבַדּ֣וֹן תֹּאכֵ֑ל וּֽבְכָל תְּב֖וּאָתִ֣י תְשָׁרֵֽשׁ

For it a fire consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

אִם אֶמְאַ֗ס מִשְׁפַּ֣ט עַ֭בְדִּי וַאֲמָתִ֑י בְּ֝רִבָ֗ם עִמָּדִֽי

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

וּמָ֣ה אֶֽ֭עֱשֶׂה כִּֽי יָק֣וּם אֵ֑ל וְכִֽי יִ֝פְקֹ֗ד מָ֣ה אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ

What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

הֲֽ֝לֹא בַ֭בֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂ֣נִי עָשָׂ֑הוּ וַ֝יְכֻנֶ֗נּוּ בָּרֶ֥חֶם אֶחָֽד

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

אִם אֶ֭מְנַע מֵחֵ֣פֶץ דַּלִּ֑ים וְעֵינֵ֖י אַלְמָנָ֣ה אֲכַלֶּֽה

If I have withheld the poor from desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

וְאֹכַ֣ל פִּתִּ֣י לְבַדִּ֑י וְלֹא אָכַ֖ל יָת֣וֹם מִמֶּֽנָּה

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless has not eaten thereof;

כִּ֣י מִ֭נְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַ֣נִי כְאָ֑ב וּמִבֶּ֖טֶן אִמִּ֣י אַנְחֶֽנָּה

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)

אִם אֶרְאֶ֣ה א֭וֹבֵד מִבְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וְאֵ֥ין כְּ֝ס֗וּת לָאֶבְיֽוֹן

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

אִם לֹ֣א בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי חלצו חֲלָצָ֑יו וּמִגֵּ֥ז כְּ֝בָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּֽם

If his loins have not blessed me, and he were warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

אִם הֲנִיפ֣וֹתִי עַל יָת֣וֹם יָדִ֑י כִּֽי אֶרְאֶ֥ה בַ֝שַּׁ֗עַר עֶזְרָתִֽי

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

כְּ֭תֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָ֣ה תִפּ֑וֹל וְ֝אֶזְרֹעִ֗י מִקָּנָ֥ה תִשָּׁבֵֽר

let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

כִּ֤י פַ֣חַד אֵ֭לַי אֵ֣יד אֵ֑ל וּ֝מִשְּׂאֵת֗וֹ לֹ֣א אוּכָֽל

For destruction God a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

אִם שַׂ֣מְתִּי זָהָ֣ב כִּסְלִ֑י וְ֝לַכֶּ֗תֶם אָמַ֥רְתִּי מִבְטַחִֽי

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, my confidence;

אִם אֶ֭שְׂמַח כִּי רַ֣ב חֵילִ֑י וְכִֽי כַ֝בִּ֗יר מָצְאָ֥ה יָדִֽי

If I rejoiced because my wealth great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

אִם אֶרְאֶ֣ה א֖וֹר כִּ֣י יָהֵ֑ל וְ֝יָרֵ֗חַ יָקָ֥ר הֹלֵֽךְ

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking brightness;

וַיִּ֣פְתְּ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר לִבִּ֑י וַתִּשַּׁ֖ק יָדִ֣י לְפִֽי

And my heart has been secretly enticed, or my mouth has kissed my hand:

גַּם ה֭וּא עָוֺ֣ן פְּלִילִ֑י כִּֽי כִחַ֖שְׁתִּי לָאֵ֣ל מִמָּֽעַל

This also an iniquity the judge: for I should have denied the God above.

אִם אֶ֭שְׂמַח בְּפִ֣יד מְשַׂנְאִ֑י וְ֝הִתְעֹרַ֗רְתִּי כִּֽי מְצָ֥אוֹ רָֽע

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

וְלֹא נָתַ֣תִּי לַחֲטֹ֣א חִכִּ֑י לִשְׁאֹ֖ל בְּאָלָ֣ה נַפְשֽׁוֹ

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

אִם לֹ֣א אָ֭מְרוּ מְתֵ֣י אָהֳלִ֑י מִֽי יִתֵּ֥ן מִ֝בְּשָׂר֗וֹ לֹ֣א נִשְׂבָּֽע

If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

בַּ֭חוּץ לֹא יָלִ֣ין גֵּ֑ר דְּ֝לָתַ֗י לָאֹ֥רַח אֶפְתָּֽח

The stranger did not lodge in the street: I opened my doors to the traveller.

אִם כִּסִּ֣יתִי כְאָדָ֣ם פְּשָׁעָ֑י לִטְמ֖וֹן בְּחֻבִּ֣י עֲוֺֽנִי

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

כִּ֤י אֶֽעֱר֨וֹץ הָ֘מ֤וֹן רַבָּ֗ה וּבוּז מִשְׁפָּח֥וֹת יְחִתֵּ֑נִי וָ֝אֶדֹּ֗ם לֹא אֵ֥צֵא פָֽתַח

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, went not out of the door?

מִ֤י יִתֶּן לִ֨י שֹׁ֘מֵ֤עַֽ לִ֗י הֶן תָּ֭וִי שַׁדַּ֣י יַעֲנֵ֑נִי וְסֵ֥פֶר כָּ֝תַ֗ב אִ֣ישׁ רִיבִֽי

Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire the Almighty would answer me, and mine adversary had written a book.

אִם לֹ֣א עַל שִׁ֭כְמִי אֶשָּׂאֶ֑נּוּ אֶֽעֶנְדֶ֖נּוּ עֲטָר֣וֹת לִֽי

Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, bind it a crown to me.

מִסְפַּ֣ר צְ֭עָדַי אַגִּידֶ֑נּוּ כְּמוֹ נָ֝גִ֗יד אֲקָרֲבֶֽנּוּ

I would declare to him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near to him.

אִם עָ֭לַי אַדְמָתִ֣י תִזְעָ֑ק וְ֝יַ֗חַד תְּלָמֶ֥יהָ יִבְכָּיֽוּן

If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

אִם כֹּ֭חָהּ אָכַ֣לְתִּי בְלִי כָ֑סֶף וְנֶ֖פֶשׁ בְּעָלֶ֣יהָ הִפָּֽחְתִּי

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

תַּ֤חַת חִטָּ֨ה יֵ֥צֵא ח֗וֹחַ וְתַֽחַת שְׂעֹרָ֥ה בָאְשָׁ֑ה תַּ֝֗מּוּ דִּבְרֵ֥י אִיּֽוֹב

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.