Job’s Final Defense Continued

• so[fn] how could I look closely upon a virgin?
• 2 is the portion of God from above or[fn] the heritage of Shaddai from on high?
• 3 the evil one and ruin for the workers of mischief?
• 4  and count all my steps?
• 5  and my foot has hastened to deceit,
• 6 the balance of justice, and let God know my blamelessness.
• 7  and my heart has walked after my eyes,
• and my hand has clung to a spot,
• 8  and let my crops be rooted out.
• 9  and at my neighbor’s doorway I have lain in wait,
• 10  and let other men kneel over her,
• 11 is a shameful act, and that is[fn]
• 12 is a fire that will consume up to Abaddon, and it would uproot all my crop.
• 13 [fn] female slave’s case when their complaint was against me,
• 14 [fn] what shall I do when God rises up? And when he enquires, how shall I answer him?
• 15 who made me in the womb make them? And did not one fashion us in the womb?
• 16 the desire of the poor from them, or[fn] I have caused the widow’s eyes to fail,
• 17 [fn] and the orphan has not eaten from it
• 18 [fn][fn] me like a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided her[fn]),
• 19 the one who perishes because of no clothing or[fn] that there is no covering for the poor,
• 20  or[fn] by means of my sheep’s fleece he has warmed himself,
• 21  because I saw my supporters at the gate,
• 22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket.
• 23 was a dread for me, and[fn] because of his majesty.
• 24  or[fn] I have called fine gold my security,
• 25 was great or[fn] because my hand found a fortune,
• 26 the sun when it shone or[fn] at the moon moving in splendor,
• 27 [fn] and[fn]
• 28 is an iniquity to be judged, for I have deceived God above.
• 29 the ruin of the one who hated me or[fn] have exulted when evil overtook him—
• 30 [fn] I have not allowed my mouth to sin, to ask his life with a curse.
• 31 [fn] ‘[fn] someone[fn] had not been satisfied with his meat’?
• 32  I have opened my door to the traveler.
• 33 [fn] my transgressions as other human beings to hide my iniquity in my bosom
• 34 the great multitude, and the contempt of clans terrified me,
• so that I kept quiet, I did not go out of the doorway?
• 35 [fn][fn] someone hearing me! Here is my signature;
• let Shaddai answer me!
• [fn] the written communication that[fn] has written,
• 36 [fn] carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me like a crown.
• 37  I would approach him like a noble.
• 38  and its furrows have wept together,
• 39  or[fn] I have caused the breath of its owners to die,
• 40  and noxious weeds in place of barley.”
• The words of Job are ended.