¹ I made a covenant with my eyes
    not to gaze upon a virgin.
² What portion comes from God above,
    what heritage from the Almighty on high?
³ Is it not calamity for the unrighteous,
    and woe for evildoers?
⁴ Does he not see my ways,
    and number all my steps?
⁵ If I have walked in falsehood^[a]
    and my foot has hastened to deceit,
⁶ Let God weigh me in the scales of justice;
    thus will he know my innocence!
⁷ If my steps have turned out of the way,
    and my heart has followed my eyes,
    or any stain clings to my hands,
⁸ Then may I sow, but another eat,
    and may my produce be rooted up!
⁹ If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
    and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door;
¹⁰ Then may my wife grind for another,
    and may others kneel over her!
¹¹ For that would be heinous,
    a crime to be condemned,
¹² A fire that would consume down to Abaddon^[b]
    till it uprooted all my crops.
¹³ Had I refused justice to my manservant
    or to my maidservant, when they had a complaint against me,
¹⁴ What then should I do when God rises up?
    What could I answer when he demands an account?
¹⁵ Did not he who made me in the belly make him?
    Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?
¹⁶ If I have denied anything that the poor desired,
    or allowed the eyes of the widow to languish
¹⁷ While I ate my portion alone,
    with no share in it for the fatherless,
¹⁸ Though like a father he^[c] has reared me from my youth,
    guiding me even from my mother’s womb—
¹⁹ If I have seen a wanderer without clothing,
    or a poor man without covering,
²⁰ Whose limbs have not blessed me
    when warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
²¹ If I have raised my hand against the innocent
    because I saw that I had supporters at the gate—^[d]
22 Then may my arm fall from the shoulder,
    my forearm be broken at the elbow!
²³ For I dread calamity from God,
    and his majesty will overpower me.
²⁴ Had I put my trust in gold
    or called fine gold my security;
²⁵ Or had I rejoiced that my wealth was great,
    or that my hand had acquired abundance—
²⁶ Had I looked upon the light^[e] as it shone,
    or the moon in the splendor of its progress,
²⁷ And had my heart been secretly enticed
    to blow them a kiss with my hand,
²⁸ This too would be a crime for condemnation,
    for I should have denied God above.
²⁹ Had I rejoiced at the destruction of my enemy
    or exulted when evil came upon him,
³⁰ Even though I had not allowed my mouth to sin
    by invoking a curse against his life—
³¹ Had not the men of my tent exclaimed,
    “Who has not been filled with his meat!”^[f]
32 No stranger lodged in the street,
    for I opened my door to wayfarers—
^33 [g]Had I, all too human, hidden my sins
    and buried my guilt in my bosom
³⁴ Because I feared the great multitude
    and the scorn of the clans terrified me—
    then I should have remained silent, and not come out of doors!
^35 [h]Oh, that I had one to hear my case:
    here is my signature:^[i] let the Almighty answer me!
Let my accuser write out his indictment!
³⁶ Surely, I should wear it on my shoulder^[j]
    or put it on me like a diadem;
³⁷ Of all my steps I should give him an account;
    like a prince^[k] I should present myself before him.
³⁸ If my land has cried out against me
    till its furrows wept together;
³⁹ If I have eaten its strength without payment
    and grieved the hearts of its tenants;
⁴⁰ Then let the thorns grow instead of wheat
    and stinkweed instead of barley!