1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? 2 For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? 3 Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? 4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? 5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; 6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. 7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; 8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
9 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door; 10 Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her. 11 For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. 12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase. 13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; 14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, 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 myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; 18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;) 19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; 20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: 22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone. 23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; 25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; 26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; 27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: 28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above. 29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: 30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. 31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied. 32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom: 34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door? 35 Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book. 36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. 37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him. 38 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; 39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: 40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
1 Ek het 'n verbond gesluit met my oë: hoe sou ek dan ag gegee het op 'n jonkvrou?
2 Wat tog is die lot wat God daarbo beskik, en die erfdeel van die Almagtige uit die hoogtes --
3 is dit nie ondergang vir die kwaaddoener en ongeluk vir die werkers van ongeregtigheid nie?
4 Sien Hy nie my weë nie, en tel Hy nie al my voetstappe nie?
5 As ek met leuens omgegaan het en my voet gehardloop het na bedrog:
6 laat Hy my dan weeg op 'n regte weegskaal, sodat God my onskuld kan weet!
7 As my gang afgewyk het van die weg en my hart agter my oë aangegaan het en aan my hande 'n vlek gekleef het --
8 laat my dan saai en iemand anders eet, en laat my uitspruitsels ontwortel word.
9 As my hart verlok was oor 'n vrou, en ek geloer het by die deur van my naaste --
10 laat dan my vrou vir iemand anders maal en ander hulle oor haar buig.
11 Want dit is 'n skandelike daad, en dit is 'n strafbare misdaad.
12 Ja, dit is 'n vuur wat tot by die plek van vertering toe vreet en al my opbrings sou ontwortel.
13 As ek gering geag het die reg van my slaaf of van my slavin toe hulle 'n geskil met my gehad het --
14 wat sou ek dan doen as God opstaan? En wat Hom antwoord as Hy ondersoek doen?
15 Het Hy wat my in die moederskoot gemaak het, hom nie gemaak nie? En het Een ons nie in die geboorte toeberei nie?
16 As ek die armes 'n versoek geweier het en die oë van die weduwee laat versmag het
17 en my stukkie brood alleen geëet het sonder om die wees daarvan te laat saameet;
19 as ek iemand sien omkom het sonder klere en dat daar geen bedekking vir die behoeftige was nie;
20 as sy lendene my nie geseënen hy hom nie warm gemaak het van die skeersel van my lammers nie;
21 as ek my hand teen 'n wees beweeg het, omdat ek in die poort vir my hulp gesien het --
22 laat dan my skouer uit sy gewrig val en my arm van sy pyp afgebreek word.
23 Want die ondergang wat God bewerk, was 'n skrik vir my; en weens sy hoogheid was ek onmagtig.
24 As ek op goud my hoop gestel het en vir die fyn goud gesê het: My vertroue!
25 As ek bly gewees het, omdat my vermoë groot was en my hand baie verwerf het;
26 as ek die sonlig aangesien het wanneer dit helder skyn en die maan wat so pragtig daarheen gaan,
27 en my hart heimlik verlei is, en ek met my hand hulle 'n kus toegewerp het --
28 ook dit sou 'n strafbare misdaad wees, want ek sou God daarbo verloën het.
29 As ek bly was oor die ongeluk van my hater en uitgejubel het toe onheil hom getref het;
31 as die mense in my tent nie gesê het: Wie kan iemand vind wat van sy vleesspys nie versadig is nie?
33 as ek, soos Adam, my oortredinge bedek het deur my ongeregtigheid in my boesem weg te steek,
34 omdat ek bang was vir die groot menigte en die veragting van die geslagte my laat skrik het, sodat ek my stil gehou, die deur nie uitgegaan het nie!
35 Ag, as iemand my maar wou aanhoor! Kyk hier my handtekening laat die Almagtige my antwoord! en die skrif wat my teëparty geskrywe het!
36 Waarlik, op my skouer sou ek dit dra; ek sou dit my ombind as 'n krans.
37 Die getal van my voetstappe sou ek Hom te kenne gee; as 'n vors sou ek na Hom toe aankom.
38 As my saailand my aanklaag en sy vore almal saam ween;
39 as ek sy opbrings geëet het sonder betaling en die lewe van sy eienaars uitgeblaas het --
40 laat dan distels in plaas van koring uitspruit en onkruid in plaas van gars. Hier eindig die woorde van Job.