31:1

בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי לְעֵינָי וּמָה אֶתְבּוֹנֵן עַל־בְּתוּלָה׃

I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a maid?

²

31:2

וּמֶה חֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמָּעַל וְנַחֲלַת שַׁדַּי מִמְּרֹמִים׃

For what would be the portion of God from above, And the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

¹

31:3

הֲלֹא־אֵיד לְעַוָּל וְנֵכֶר לְפֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן׃

Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity?

¹

31:4

הֲלֹא־הוּא יִרְאֶה דְרָכָי וְכָל־צְעָדַי יִסְפּוֹר׃

Doth not He see my ways, And count all my steps?

¹

31:5

אִם־הָלַכְתִּי עִם־שָׁוְא וַתַּחַשׁ עַל־מִרְמָה רַגְלִי׃

If I have walked with vanity, And my foot hath hasted to deceit—

¹

31:6

יִשְׁקְלֵנִי בְמֹאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק וְיֵדַע אֱלוֹהַּ תֻּמָּתִי׃

Let me be weighed in a just balance, That God may know mine integrity—

31:7

אִם תִּטֶּה אַשֻּׁרִי מִנִּי הַדָּרֶךְ וְאַחַר עֵינַי הָלַךְ לִבִּי וּבְכַפַּי דָּבַק מֻאוּם׃

If my step hath turned out of the way, And my heart walked after mine eyes, And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands;

¹

31:8

אֶזְרְעָה וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל וְצֶאֱצָאַי יְשֹׁרָשׁוּ׃

Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

¹

31:9

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

If my heart have been enticed unto a woman, And I have lain in wait at my neighbour’s door;

¹

31:10

תִּטְחַן לְאַחֵר אִשְׁתִּי וְעָלֶיהָ יִכְרְעוּן אֲחֵרִין׃

Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her. .

¹

31:11

כִּי־הוא [הִיא] זִמָּה והיא [וְהוּא] עָוֺן פְּלִילִים׃

For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

¹

31:12

כִּי אֵשׁ הִיא עַד־אֲבַדּוֹן תֹּאכֵל וּבְכָל־תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵשׁ׃

For it is a fire that consumeth unto destruction, And would root out all mine increase.

¹

31:13

אִם־אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי וַאֲמָתִי בְּרִבָם עִמָּדִי׃

If I did despise the cause of my man-servant, Or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me—

31:14

וּמָה אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּי־יָקוּם אֵל וְכִי־יִפְקֹד מָה אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ׃

What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when He remembereth, what shall I answer Him?

¹

31:15

הֲ‍לֹא־בַבֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂנִי עָשָׂהוּ וַיְכֻנֶנּוּ בָּרֶחֶם אֶחָד׃

Did not He that made me in the womb make him? And did not One fashion us in the womb?

¹

31:16

אִם־אֶמְנַע מֵחֵפֶץ דַּלִּים וְעֵינֵי אַלְמָנָה אֲכַלֶּה׃

If I have withheld aught that the poor desired, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

¹

31:17

וְאֹכַל פִּתִּי לְבַדִּי וְלֹא־אָכַל יָתוֹם מִמֶּנָּה׃

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof—

31:18

כִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶנָּה׃

Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And I have been her guide from my mother’s womb.

¹

31:19

אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָאֶבְיוֹן׃

If I have seen any wanderer in want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering;

31:20

אִם־לֹא בֵרֲכוּנִי חלצו [חֲלָצָיו] וּמִגֵּז כְּבָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּם׃

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

31:21

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

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate;

31:22

כְּתֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָה תִפּוֹל וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָה תִשָּׁבֵר׃

Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone.

¹

31:23

כִּי פַחַד אֵלַי אֵיד אֵל וּמִשְּׂאֵתוֹ לֹא אוּכָל׃

For calamity from God was a terror to me, And by reason of His majesty I could do nothing.

¹

31:24

אִם־שַׂמְתִּי זָהָב כִּסְלִי וְלַכֶּתֶם אָמַרְתִּי מִבְטַחִי׃

If I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold: ‘Thou art my confidence’;

¹

31:25

אִם־אֶשְׂמַח כִּי־רַב חֵילִי וְכִי־כַבִּיר מָצְאָה יָדִי׃

If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much;

¹

31:26

אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹר כִּי יָהֵל וְיָרֵחַ יָקָר הֹלֵךְ׃

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

¹

31:27

וַיִּפְתְּ בַּסֵּתֶר לִבִּי וַתִּשַּׁק יָדִי לְפִי׃

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath kissed my hand;

¹

31:28

גַּם־הוּא עָוֺן פְּלִילִי כִּי־כִחַשְׁתִּי לָאֵל מִמָּעַל׃

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have lied to God that is above.

31:29

אִם־אֶשְׂמַח בְּפִיד מְשַׂנְאִי וְהִתְעֹרַרְתִּי כִּי־מְצָאוֹ רָע׃

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or exulted when evil found him—

31:30

וְלֹא־נָתַתִּי לַחֲטֹא חִכִּי לִשְׁאֹל בְּאָלָה נַפְשׁוֹ׃

Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse.

¹

31:31

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

If the men of my tent said not: ‘Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat?’ .

¹

31:32

בַּחוּץ לֹא־יָלִין גֵּר דְּלָתַי לָאֹרַח אֶפְתָּח׃

The stranger did not lodge in the street; My doors I opened to the roadside.

¹

31:33

אִם־כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי לִטְמוֹן בְּחֻבִּי עֲוֺנִי׃

If after the manner of men I covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom—

¹

31:34

כִּי אֶעֱרוֹץ הָמוֹן רַבָּה וּבוּז־מִשְׁפָּחוֹת יְחִתֵּנִי וָאֶדֹּם לֹא־אֵצֵא פָתַח׃

Because I feared the great multitude, And the most contemptible among families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door.

¹

31:35

מִי יִתֶּן־לִי שֹׁמֵעַ לִי הֶן־תָּוִי שַׁדַּי יַעֲנֵנִי וְסֵפֶר כָּתַב אִישׁ רִיבִי׃

Oh that I had one to hear me!— Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me— And that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written!

¹

31:36

אִם־לֹא עַל־שִׁכְמִי אֶשָּׂאֶנּוּ אֶעֶנְדֶנּוּ עֲטָרוֹת לִי׃

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown.

¹

31:37

מִסְפַּר צְעָדַי אַגִּידֶנּוּ כְּמוֹ־נָגִיד אֲקָרֲבֶנּוּ׃

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him.

¹

31:38

אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק וְיַחַד תְּלָמֶיהָ יִבְכָּיוּן׃

If my land cry out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together;

¹

31:39

אִם־כֹּחָהּ אָכַלְתִּי בְלִי־כָסֶף וְנֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלֶיהָ הִפָּחְתִּי׃

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the tillers thereof to be disappointed—

¹

31:40

תַּחַת חִטָּה יֵצֵא חוֹחַ וְתַחַת־שְׂעֹרָה בָאְשָׁה תַּמּוּ דִּבְרֵי אִיּוֹב׃

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, And noisome weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

¹