Daily Bible Reading

Job’s Final Appeal

1“I have made a covenant with my eyes;

how then could I gaze at a virgin?

2What would be my portion from God above

and my heritage from the Almighty on high?

3Is not calamity for the unrighteous,

and disaster for the workers of iniquity?

4Does not he see my ways

and number all my steps?

5“If I have walked with falsehood

and my foot has hastened to deceit;

6(Let me be weighed in a just balance,

and let God know my integrity!)

7if my step has turned aside from the way

and my heart has gone after my eyes,

and if any spot has stuck to my hands,

8then let me sow, and another eat,

and let what grows for me be rooted out.

9“If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,

and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,

10then let my wife grind for another,

and let others bow down on her.

11For that would be a heinous crime;

that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;

12for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon,

and it would burn to the root all my increase.

13“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,

when they brought a complaint against me,

14what then shall I do when God rises up?

When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?

15Did not he who made me in the womb make him?

And did not one fashion us in the womb?

16“If I have withheld anything that the poor desired,

or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

17or have eaten my morsel alone,

and the fatherless has not eaten of it

18(for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father,

and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow),

19if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,

or the needy without covering,

20if his body has not blessed me,

and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

21if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,

because I saw my help in the gate,

22then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,

and let my arm be broken from its socket.

23For I was in terror of calamity from God,

and I could not have faced his majesty.

24“If I have made gold my trust

or called fine gold my confidence,

25if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant

or because my hand had found much,

26if I have looked at the sun when it shone,

or the moon moving in splendor,

27and my heart has been secretly enticed,

and my mouth has kissed my hand,

28this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,

for I would have been false to God above.

29“If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,

or exulted when evil overtook him

30(I have not let my mouth sin

by asking for his life with a curse),

31if the men of my tent have not said,

‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?’

32(the sojourner has not lodged in the street;

I have opened my doors to the traveler),

33if I have concealed my transgressions as others do

by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

34because I stood in great fear of the multitude,

and the contempt of families terrified me,

so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—

35Oh, that I had one to hear me!

(Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!)

Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!

36Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;

I would bind it on me as a crown;

37I would give him an account of all my steps;

like a prince I would approach him.

38“If my land has cried out against me

and its furrows have wept together,

39if I have eaten its yield without payment

and made its owners breathe their last,

40let thorns grow instead of wheat,

and foul weeds instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.

1“I made a covenant with my eyes

not to look lustfully at a young woman.

2For what is our lot from God above,

our heritage from the Almighty on high?

3Is it not ruin for the wicked,

disaster for those who do wrong?

4Does he not see my ways

and count my every step?

5“If I have walked with falsehood

or my foot has hurried after deceit—

6let God weigh me in honest scales

and he will know that I am blameless—

7if my steps have turned from the path,

if my heart has been led by my eyes,

or if my hands have been defiled,

8then may others eat what I have sown,

and may my crops be uprooted.

9“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,

or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

10then may my wife grind another man’s grain,

and may other men sleep with her.

11For that would have been wicked,

a sin to be judged.

12It is a fire that burns to Destruction;

it would have uprooted my harvest.

13“If I have denied justice to any of my servants,

whether male or female,

when they had a grievance against me,

14what will I do when God confronts me?

What will I answer when called to account?

15Did not he who made me in the womb make them?

Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

16“If I have denied the desires of the poor

or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

17if I have kept my bread to myself,

not sharing it with the fatherless—

18but from my youth I reared them as a father would,

and from my birth I guided the widow—

19if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,

or the needy without garments,

20and their hearts did not bless me

for warming them with the fleece from my sheep,

21if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,

knowing that I had influence in court,

22then let my arm fall from the shoulder,

let it be broken off at the joint.

23For I dreaded destruction from God,

and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

24“If I have put my trust in gold

or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’

25if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,

the fortune my hands had gained,

26if I have regarded the sun in its radiance

or the moon moving in splendor,

27so that my heart was secretly enticed

and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

28then these also would be sins to be judged,

for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.

29“If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune

or gloated over the trouble that came to him—

30I have not allowed my mouth to sin

by invoking a curse against their life—

31if those of my household have never said,

‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’—

32but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,

for my door was always open to the traveler—

33if I have concealed my sin as people do,

by hiding my guilt in my heart

34because I so feared the crowd

and so dreaded the contempt of the clans

that I kept silent and would not go outside—

35(“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!

I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;

let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

36Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,

I would put it on like a crown.

37I would give him an account of my every step;

I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—

38“if my land cries out against me

and all its furrows are wet with tears,

39if I have devoured its yield without payment

or broken the spirit of its tenants,

40then let briers come up instead of wheat

and stinkweed instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.