1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? 2 For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? 3 Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? 4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? 5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; 6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. 7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; 8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
9 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door; 10 Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her. 11 For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. 12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase. 13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; 14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? 15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; 17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; 18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;) 19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; 20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: 22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone. 23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; 25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; 26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; 27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: 28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above. 29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: 30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. 31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied. 32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom: 34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door? 35 Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book. 36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. 37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him. 38 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; 39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: 40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
1 »Yo siempre me propuse
no mirar con deseos
a ninguna jovencita.
2 ¿Y qué recibí del Dios del cielo?
3 ¡Tan solo la ruina y el desastre
que merecen los malhechores!
4 ¡Tal parece que Dios no me ve
ni se fija en lo que hago!
5 »Yo nunca he hecho nada malo.
Nunca a nadie le he mentido.
6 ¡Que Dios me ponga a prueba,
y verá que soy inocente!
7 Nunca me aparté del buen camino,
ni me dejé llevar por mis deseos.
Si se encuentra en mis manos
alguna cosa robada,
8 ¡que otros disfruten mis cosechas,
y se queden con mis campos!
9 »Si acaso he esperado
que se vaya mi vecino
para estar a solas con su esposa,
10 ¡que mi esposa se convierta
en esclava y amante de otros!
11-12 Eso sería una vergüenza.
Sería un terrible castigo,
¡peor que si un incendio destructor
acabara con mis cosechas!
13 »Cuando mis esclavos
me hacían algún reclamo
siempre fui justo con ellos.
14 De otra manera,
¿cómo podría responder a Dios
si él me llamara a cuentas?
15 ¡Tanto a ellos como a mí
Dios nos hizo iguales!
16 »Jamás he dejado de atender
los ruegos de los pobres;
jamás he dejado que las viudas
se desmayen de hambre;
17 jamás he probado un bocado
sin compartirlo con los huérfanos.
18 Desde mi más temprana edad,
siempre he sido el apoyo
de huérfanos y viudas;
19 jamás he dejado que los pobres
mueran por falta de ropa.
20 Muchos me agradecieron
el abrigarlos con ropa de lana.
21 Nunca abusé de mi autoridad
para amenazar a los huérfanos.
22-23 ¡No quiero que Dios me castigue!
¡No podría resistir su poder!
Pero si acaso he actuado así,
¡que me quede yo sin brazos!
24 »Jamás he puesto mi confianza
en el poder de las riquezas;
25 jamás las muchas riquezas
me fueron motivo de orgullo.
26-27 El sol y la luna
son dos astros maravillosos,
pero jamás les he rendido culto,
ni en público ni en secreto.
28 Si hubiera cometido tal pecado,
Dios tendría que juzgarme
por haberlo traicionado.
29 »Jamás me he alegrado
de ver la desgracia de mi enemigo;
30 jamás he cometido el pecado
de pedir que le vaya mal;
31 jamás nadie visitó mi casa
sin calmar su hambre en mi mesa;
32 jamás un extraño tocó a mi puerta
sin ser invitado a pasar la noche;
33-34 a diferencia de otros,
jamás he guardado en secreto
ninguno de mis pecados,
y no por miedo a mis parientes
o por temor al qué dirán.
35 »Juro que digo la verdad.
¡Espero que el Dios todopoderoso
me escuche y me responda!
Si de algo puede acusarme,
que lo ponga por escrito.
36 Llevaré su acusación
en los hombros y en la frente.
37 Me presentaré ante Dios
con la frente en alto,
y le daré cuenta de mis actos.
38-39 »Jamás he abusado de mis tierras,
pues las he dejado descansar.
Jamás he explotado a mis trabajadores
pues les he pagado su justo salario.
40 Si lo que digo no es cierto,
¡que en vez de trigo y cebada
produzca mi tierra espinas!»
Así fue como Job dio por terminado su discurso.