Job’s Final Appeal 1 Brenton I made a covenant with mine eyes, and I will not think upon a virgin. BSB BSB: “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
2 Brenton Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance given of the Mighty One from the highest? BSB BSB: For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Brenton Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity. BSB BSB: Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?
4 Brenton Will he not see my way, and number all my steps? BSB BSB: Does He not see my ways and count my every step?
5 Brenton But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit: BSB BSB: If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
6 Brenton (for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence:) BSB BSB: let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.
7 Brenton if my foot has turned aside out of the way, or if mine heart has followed mine eye, and if too I have touched gifts with my hands; 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 Brenton then let me sow, and let others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth. BSB BSB: then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
9 Brenton If my heart has gone forth after another man's wife, and if I laid wait at her doors; BSB BSB: If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,
10 Brenton then let my wife also please another, and let my children be brought low. BSB BSB: then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her.
11 Brenton For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, in the case of defiling another man's wife. BSB BSB: For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.
12 Brenton For it is a fire burning on every side, and whomsoever it attacks, it utterly destroys. BSB BSB: For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.
13 Brenton And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or my handmaid, when they pleaded with me; BSB BSB: If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
14 Brenton what then shall I do if the Lord should try me? and if also he should at all visit me, can I make an answer? BSB BSB: what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?
15 Brenton Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yea, we were formed in the same womb. 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 Brenton But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail. BSB BSB: If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
17 Brenton And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart of it to the orphan; BSB BSB: if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—
18 Brenton (for I nourished them as a father from my youth, and guided them from my mother's womb.) BSB BSB: though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—
19 Brenton And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him; BSB BSB: if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,
20 Brenton and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were not warmed with the fleece of my lambs; BSB BSB: if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
21 Brenton if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior to his : BSB BSB: if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate,
22 Brenton let then my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow. BSB BSB: then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.
23 Brenton For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I cannot bear up by reason of his burden. BSB BSB: For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.
24 Brenton If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone; BSB BSB: If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
25 Brenton and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable treasures : BSB BSB: if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,
26 Brenton (do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not power to continue :) BSB BSB: if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
27 Brenton and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it: BSB BSB: so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 Brenton let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I should have lied against the Lord Most High. BSB BSB: this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.
29 Brenton And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha! BSB BSB: If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
30 Brenton let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a by-word among my people in my affliction. BSB BSB: I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—
31 Brenton And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind: BSB BSB: if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
32 Brenton for the stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came:) BSB BSB: but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—
33 Brenton or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin; BSB BSB: if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
34 Brenton (for I did not stand in awe of a great multitude, so as not to declare boldly before them:) and if too I permitted a poor man to go out of my door with an empty bosom: 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 Brenton (Oh that I had a hearer,) and if I had not feared the hand of the Lord; and as to the written charge which I had against any one, 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 Brenton I would place it as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it. BSB BSB: Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.
37 Brenton And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor: BSB BSB: I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—
38 Brenton If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together; BSB BSB: if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together,
39 Brenton and if I ate its strength alone without price, and if too I grieved the heart of the owner of the soil, by taking aught from him : BSB BSB: if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
40 Brenton then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking. BSB BSB: then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
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