1 Eis fiz um acordo com os meus olhos- não os fixar com luxúria numa rapariga.

2 Senão, que posso eu esperar lá de cima, de Deus?

3 Não manda ele a desgraça ao perverso,a calamidade aos que fazem o mal?

4 Ele vê tudo o que faço, cada passo que dou.

5 Se eu tivesse mentido e defraudado;

6 Mas Deus pesa-me em balanças fiéis e sabe que estou inocente!

7 Se eu me afastei do caminho de Deus; se, no íntimo, cobicei aquilo que os olhos viam, se sou culpado de qualquer outro pecado,então que os outros ceifem aquilo que eu semeei,que tudo o que plantei seja arrancado de raiz.

11 Pois teria cometido um mal que merece castigo.

12 Seria como um fogo devastador que faz acabar no inferno,que dá cabo de uma vida.

13 Se alguma vez tivesse sido injusto para o meu criado,a minha criada, quando tiveram questões contra mim,

14 que teria eu a responder se ele quisesse interrogar-me sobre isso?

15 Pois foi Deus quem me criou, a mim, tantocomo aos meus trabalhadores. Fez-nos todos nós.

21 se tentei aproveitar-me de algum órfão,pensando tirar benefício da sua situação;

22 se fiz alguma destas coisas,então que os membros me caiam do corpo!Que os ossos se me desconjuntem!

23 Antes me aconteça isso do que enfrentar o julgamento de Deus; sim, receio isso mais do que qualquer outra coisa. Porque se tiver de enfrentar a majestade de Deus,que esperança me resta?

24 Se alguma vez pus a minha confiança no dinheiro,

25 se a minha felicidade se baseou unicamente na riqueza,

33 ou se, como Adão, tentei encobrir as minhas faltas,com receio do que o povo poderia dizer;

34 e se com medo de o afrontar, recusei reconhecer as minhas culpase não procurei intervir a favor de outros

35 - oh, quem me dera que alguém me ouvissee tentasse dar atenção aos meus argumentos! Vejam: eu próprio assino a minha defesa; agora peço que o Deus todo-poderosome mostre em que é que errei,e que, assim, apoie as acusações que os meus inimigos me fazem.

36 Haveria de guardar o processo desse julgamento como uma coroa.

37 Dir-lhe-ia exactamente aquilo que fiz e porque o fiz,apresentando-lhe a minha defesacomo a alguém que tem verdadeiramente competênciapara me ouvir.

1 A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes,How then could I gaze upon a virgin?

2 Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

3 Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?

4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?

5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit:

6 Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness,and let GOD take note of mine integrity!

7 If my goings have swerved from the way,and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,

8 Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!

9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,

10 Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!

11 Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!

12 Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.

13 If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,

14 What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?

15 Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?

16 If I withheldfrom pleasurethe poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;

17 Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;

18 Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:

19 If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

20 If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;

21 If I shookagainst the fatherlessmy hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,

22 Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;

23 For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.

24 If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!

25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;

26 If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;

27 And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,

28 That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.

29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him;

30 Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:

31 If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his fleshwe cannot get filled,

32 Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doorsto the wayfarer, I threw open.

33 If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,

34 Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of the door!

35 Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!

36 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;

37 The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.

38 If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;

39 If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;

40 Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.