1 ARST “I have made a solemn promise to myself that I will not look at a woman in a lustful way. So I would not look at a woman who was not my wife and want to have sexual relations with her. BSB BSB: “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
2 ARST { If I did not do what I promised,} God who is in heaven would certainly punish me. Shaddai in heaven would make sure that I got what I deserved. BSB BSB: For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 ARST { I would not have done wrong in that way, because I know that} unrighteous people experience calamities. People who do what is wrong experience disasters{ when God punishes them}. BSB BSB: Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?
4 ARST I know that God sees everything that I do. He is aware of each individual action that I take. BSB BSB: Does He not see my ways and count my every step?
5 ARST I solemnly declare that I have not lied to others and that I have not tried to deceive others. BSB BSB: If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
6 ARST I only ask God to judge me fairly. If he does that, he will find that I am innocent. BSB BSB: let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.
7 ARST I solemnly declare that I have continually acted properly. I have not seen wrong things to do and then done them. I am not guilty of committing sin. BSB BSB: If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if impurity has stuck to my hands,
8 ARST If I have been lustful or deceptive, I hope that when I plant seeds, someone else will harvest the crops and eat them. Or may someone uproot the crops that are growing in my fields! BSB BSB: then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
9 ARST I solemnly declare that I have not been attracted to another man’ s wife. I have not made secret arrangements with a woman to have sexual relations with her while her husband was away. BSB BSB: If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,
10 ARST If I have done that, I hope that my own wife will be attracted to another man and that she will have sexual relations with him. BSB BSB: then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her.
11 ARST If I had sexual relations with another man’ s wife, that would be a terrible sin. If I were caught and her husband brought me to court, the judges would certainly decide to punish me. BSB BSB: For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.
12 ARST { I would have to pay a fine that would cost me everything I owned.} It would be as if a fire had burned everything I had right to the ground. It would be as if someone pulled out all the crops that were growing in my fields. BSB BSB: For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.
13 ARST I solemnly declare that when my male or female servants complained to me about something, I took their complaint seriously and made sure that I treated them fairly. BSB BSB: If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
14 ARST I knew that if I did not treat my servants fairly, I could not expect God to be merciful to me when he judged me. If God came to help my servants, I could offer no excuse for the way I had treated them. BSB BSB: what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?
15 ARST { I am no different from my servants, so I have no right to mistreat them.} The same God created each one of us. BSB BSB: Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?
16 ARST I solemnly declare that from the time that I was young, I have taken care of orphans and I have protected widows. I have not failed to provide poor people with the things that they needed. I have not caused widows to lose hope. I have not eaten all of my food by myself and not shared it with orphans. BSB BSB: If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
19 ARST I solemnly declare that I provided clothes for poor people when I saw that they were suffering from lack of clothing. I have provided warm outer garments for needy people. BSB BSB: if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,
20 ARST I gave them warm clothes that my servants had woven from the wool of my sheep. The poor people thanked me for helping them. BSB BSB: if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
21 ARST I solemnly declare that I never threatened an orphan who brought a case against me in the public square. Even if I knew that the other elders would favor me, I made sure that the orphan received fair treatment. BSB BSB: if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate,
22 ARST If I have neglected poor people or oppressed orphans, may the arm{ that I did not use to help them but used instead to threaten them} fall right out of its socket! BSB BSB: then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.
23 ARST I have not done wrong things such as I have been describing, because I respect God and I know that he punishes sin. I would not sin against such a majestic God! BSB BSB: For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.
24 ARST I solemnly declare that I have not depended on wealth as a source of security and power. BSB BSB: If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
25 ARST I solemnly declare that I did not think that I was better than other people because I had many possessions and because I had become very rich. BSB BSB: if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,
26 ARST I solemnly declare that I never looked at the sun when it was shining or at the beautiful moon BSB BSB: if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
27 ARST and made a gesture to worship them. I never wanted to do that. BSB BSB: so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 ARST If I had worshiped the sun or the moon and people found out that I had, the judges would certainly decide to punish me for that too, because I would have been worshiping a false god instead of the true God. BSB BSB: this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.
29 ARST I solemnly declare that I have not been glad when my enemies have suffered misfortunes. I have not thought that I was better than they were when they experienced disasters. I have not sinned by praying that God would curse people who hated me and cause them to die. BSB BSB: If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
31 ARST I solemnly declare that I have invited travelers to stay in my house. Visitors have not had to sleep in the streets. My servants talk about how I give food to anyone who needs it. BSB BSB: if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
33 ARST I know that people generally try to hide their sins. But I solemnly declare that I have not done that. BSB BSB: if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
34 ARST I did not let fear of what people would say about me or think of me keep me from admitting that I had done wrong and making amends. BSB BSB: because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—
35 ARST I wish that I had someone who would judge my case against God! I hereby declare that all that I have just said is true. Now I wish that Shaddai would state his case. I would like to see his written statement of charges against me. BSB BSB: (Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.
36 ARST If Shaddai wrote out his charges against me, I would not be ashamed, because I know that I am innocent. I would display the charges publicly{, because they would actually list what I had not done}. BSB BSB: Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.
37 ARST I would explain to God in detail how I was innocent of each charge. I would approach him as a ruler would: without being afraid. BSB BSB: I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—
38 ARST I solemnly declare that I have not defrauded the people who farm my land. They have no reason to cry out for justice against me. BSB BSB: if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together,
39 ARST I solemnly declare that I have taken only a fair share of the crops that people have grown on my land. I have made sure that the people who grew crops on my land kept enough of them to feed their families. BSB BSB: if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
40 ARST If I have cheated the people who farm my land, then I wish that thorns would grow in my fields instead of wheat. I wish that bad weeds would grow there instead of barley!” After this, Job said nothing further to defend himself to his three friends. BSB BSB: then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.