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Job avslutar sitt försvarstal

31 Jag slöt ett förbund med mina ögon
    att aldrig titta efter en flicka.
    Vad finns det för lott att vänta från Gud i höjden,
vilken del från den Väldige där ovan?
    Katastrof väntar ju den onde,
olycka den som gör orätt.
    Ser han inte mina vägar?
Räknar han inte varje steg jag tar?

Har jag vandrat i falskhet,
    skyndat fram på svekets väg?
Låt Gud väga mig på en korrekt våg
    så att han vet att jag är fläckfri.
Om mina steg har vikit av ifrån vägen,
    om det mina ögon sett har förlett mitt hjärta,
eller om mina händer fläckats av någon synd,
    låt då någon annan äta säden jag har sått,
och låt allt jag planterat ryckas upp med rötterna.

Om jag har låtit mitt hjärta frestas av en annan mans hustru,
    eller om jag stått på lur vid min nästas dörr,
10 låt då min hustru få mala en annan mans korn,
    och låt andra ligga med henne.
11 Detta skulle ha varit en skamlig synd,
    ett brott som måste straffas.
12 Det vore en förtärande avgrundseld
    som skulle ha utplånat allt vad jag planterat.

13 Om jag hade kränkt min slavs eller slavinnas rätt
    när de varit i tvist med mig,
14 vad skulle jag då göra när Gud konfronterar mig?
    Vad skulle jag svara när han ställer mig till svars?
15 Har inte han som skapat mig också skapat dem?
    Är det inte en och densamme som format oss i modersskötet?

16 Har jag nekat de fattiga deras önskan
    eller gjort änkans ögon sorgsna?
17 Har jag ätit mitt bröd ensam
    och inte låtit en faderlös äta något av det?
18 Nej, ända från min ungdom har jag tagit hand om denne som en far
    och från min första stund varit änkans stöd.
19 Har jag sett någon frysa ihjäl utan kläder
    eller en fattig utan något att skyla sig med?
20 Nej, han välsignade mig i sitt hjärta
    för att han fick värma sig i ull från mina får.
21 Har jag lyft handen mot en faderlös
    när jag visste att jag hade inflytande i rätten?
22 Låt då min arm falla ner från min axel
    och brytas loss ur sitt fäste!
23 Då fruktar jag Guds bestraffning,
    och inför hans majestät kan jag inget göra.

24 Har jag satt mitt hopp till guldet
    eller sagt att det rena guldet är min trygghet?
25 Har jag glatt mig över min stora rikedom,
    över att jag förvärvat så mycket?
26 Har jag betraktat solen i dess glans,
    eller månen där den i sin prakt vandrar sin bana,
27 så att mitt hjärta i hemlighet har förförts
    till att skicka dem en hyllningskyss[a]?
28 Också det hade varit en synd att dömas för.
    Då hade jag förnekat Gud i höjden.

29 Har jag glatt mig åt min fiendes olycka
    eller triumferat när något ont hänt honom?
30 Nej, jag har aldrig låtit min mun synda
    genom att förbanna hans liv.
31 Har inte mitt husfolk sagt:
    ”Vem har inte fått sin del av kött från honom?”
32 Ingen främling har behövt övernatta på gatan,
    mina dörrar har alltid stått öppna mot vägen.
33 Har jag som Adam[b] försökt dölja min synd,
    gömma min skuld i mitt hjärta,
34 av fruktan för folkhopen
    och av rädsla för släktens förakt,
så att jag höll tyst och inte vågade gå ut?

35 Ack, att det åtminstone fanns någon som ville lyssna på mig!
    Detta har jag undertecknat.
Låt nu den Väldige svara mig!
    Låt min motpart skriva ner sin anklagelse!
36 Jag skulle bära den på mina axlar
    och sätta den som krona på mitt huvud.
37 Jag skulle kunna redogöra för honom för varje steg jag tagit
    och närma mig honom som en furste.

38 Har marken jag äger anklagat mig,
    eller dess fåror gråtit,
39 för att jag ätit dess frukt utan att betala,
    eller knäckt jordbrukarna?
40 Låt då törne växa upp i stället för vete
    och ogräs i stället för korn.

Här slutar Jobs tal.

Footnotes

  1. 31:27 Syftar på tillbedjan av himlakroppar, som i dåtida kulturer ofta betraktades som gudar och hälsades med kyssar.
  2. 31:33 Eller en människa, i generell betydelse (människa heter Adam på hebreiska).

Job Defends His Righteousness

31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I [a]look upon a (A)young woman?
For what is the (B)allotment of God from above,
And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the workers of iniquity?
(C)Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?

“If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,
[b]Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my (D)integrity.
If my step has turned from the way,
Or (E)my heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,
Then (F)let me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be [c]rooted out.

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 Then let my wife grind for (G)another,
And let others bow down over her.
11 For that would be wickedness;
Yes, (H)it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.
12 For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.

13 “If I have (I)despised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,
14 What then shall I do when (J)God rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
15 (K)Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to (L)fail,
17 Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it
18 (But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided [d]the widow);
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;
20 If his [e]heart has not (M)blessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have raised my hand (N)against the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;
22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.
23 For (O)destruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.

24 “If(P) I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
25 (Q)If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;
26 (R)If I have observed the [f]sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,
27 So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;
28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.

29 “If(S) I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
30 (T)(Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his [g]soul);
31 If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’
32 (U)(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the [h]traveler);
33 If I have covered my transgressions (V)as[i] Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great (W)multitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—
35 (X)Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, (Y)that the Almighty would answer me,
That my [j]Prosecutor had written a book!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
And bind it on me like a crown;
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

38 “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If (Z)I have eaten its [k]fruit without money,
Or (AA)caused its owners to lose their lives;
40 Then let (AB)thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:1 look intently or gaze
  2. Job 31:6 Lit. Let Him weigh me
  3. Job 31:8 uprooted
  4. Job 31:18 Lit. her
  5. Job 31:20 Lit. loins
  6. Job 31:26 Lit. light
  7. Job 31:30 Or life
  8. Job 31:32 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT road
  9. Job 31:33 Or as men do
  10. Job 31:35 Lit. Accuser
  11. Job 31:39 Lit. strength

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes(A)
    not to look lustfully at a young woman.(B)
For what is our lot(C) from God above,
    our heritage from the Almighty on high?(D)
Is it not ruin(E) for the wicked,
    disaster(F) for those who do wrong?(G)
Does he not see my ways(H)
    and count my every step?(I)

“If I have walked with falsehood
    or my foot has hurried after deceit(J)
let God weigh me(K) in honest scales(L)
    and he will know that I am blameless(M)
if my steps have turned from the path,(N)
    if my heart has been led by my eyes,
    or if my hands(O) have been defiled,(P)
then may others eat what I have sown,(Q)
    and may my crops be uprooted.(R)

“If my heart has been enticed(S) by a woman,(T)
    or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind(U) another man’s grain,
    and may other men sleep with her.(V)
11 For that would have been wicked,(W)
    a sin to be judged.(X)
12 It is a fire(Y) that burns to Destruction[a];(Z)
    it would have uprooted my harvest.(AA)

13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,(AB)
    whether male or female,
    when they had a grievance against me,(AC)
14 what will I do when God confronts me?(AD)
    What will I answer when called to account?(AE)
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?(AF)
    Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?(AG)

16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor(AH)
    or let the eyes of the widow(AI) grow weary,(AJ)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless(AK)
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow(AL)
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,(AM)
    or the needy(AN) without garments,
20 and their hearts did not bless me(AO)
    for warming them with the fleece(AP) from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,(AQ)
    knowing that I had influence in court,(AR)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.(AS)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,(AT)
    and for fear of his splendor(AU) I could not do such things.(AV)

24 “If I have put my trust in gold(AW)
    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’(AX)
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,(AY)
    the fortune my hands had gained,(AZ)
26 if I have regarded the sun(BA) in its radiance
    or the moon(BB) moving in splendor,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed(BC)
    and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,(BD)
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,(BE)
    for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.(BF)

29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune(BG)
    or gloated over the trouble that came to him(BH)
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin
    by invoking a curse against their life(BI)
31 if those of my household have never said,
    ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’(BJ)
32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
    for my door was always open to the traveler(BK)
33 if I have concealed(BL) my sin as people do,[b]
    by hiding(BM) my guilt in my heart
34 because I so feared the crowd(BN)
    and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
    that I kept silent(BO) and would not go outside—

35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!(BP)
    I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
    let my accuser(BQ) put his indictment in writing.
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,(BR)
    I would put it on like a crown.(BS)
37 I would give him an account of my every step;(BT)
    I would present it to him as to a ruler.(BU))—

38 “if my land cries out against me(BV)
    and all its furrows are wet(BW) with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment(BX)
    or broken the spirit of its tenants,(BY)
40 then let briers(BZ) come up instead of wheat
    and stinkweed(CA) instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.(CB)

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:12 Hebrew Abaddon
  2. Job 31:33 Or as Adam did

Job's Final Appeal

31 “I have made a covenant with my (A)eyes;
    how then could I gaze at a virgin?
What would be (B)my portion from God above
    and (C)my heritage from the Almighty on high?
Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
    and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
(D)Does not he see my ways
    and (E)number all my steps?

“If I have walked with falsehood
    and my foot has hastened to deceit;
(Let me be (F)weighed in a just balance,
    and let God know my integrity!)
if my step has turned aside from the way
    and (G)my heart has gone after my eyes,
    and if any (H)spot has stuck to my hands,
then let me (I)sow, and another eat,
    and let what grows for me[a] be rooted out.

“If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
    and I have (J)lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
10 then let my wife (K)grind for another,
    and let others (L)bow down on her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
    that would be an iniquity (M)to be punished by the judges;
12 for that would be a fire (N)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,
14 what then shall I do when God rises up?
    When he (O)makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?
15 Did (P)not he who made me in the womb make him?
    And did not one fashion us in the womb?

16 “If I have (Q)withheld anything that the poor desired,
    or have (R)caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone,
    and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 (for from my youth the fatherless[b] grew up with me as with a father,
    and from my mother's womb I guided the widow[c]),
19 if I have seen anyone (S)perish for (T)lack of clothing,
    or the needy without (U)covering,
20 if his body has not (V)blessed me,[d]
    and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against (W)the fatherless,
    because I saw my help in (X)the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
    and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I was (Y)in terror of calamity from God,
    and I could not have faced his (Z)majesty.

24 (AA)“If I have made gold my (AB)trust
    or called (AC)fine gold my confidence,
25 if I have (AD)rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
    or because (AE)my hand had found much,
26 (AF)if I have looked at the sun[e] when it shone,
    or (AG)the moon moving in splendor,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
    and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28 this also would be (AH)an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
    for I would have been false to God above.

29 “If I have (AI)rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
    or exulted when evil overtook him
30 ((AJ)I have not let my mouth sin
    by asking for his life with a curse),
31 if the men of my tent have not said,
    ‘Who is there that has not been filled with his (AK)meat?’
32 ((AL)the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
    I have opened my doors to the traveler),
33 if I (AM)have concealed my transgressions (AN)as others do[f]
    by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34 because I stood in great fear of (AO)the multitude,
    and the contempt of families terrified me,
    so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
    (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty (AP)answer me!)
    Oh, that I had (AQ)the indictment written by my adversary!
36 Surely I would carry it on my (AR)shoulder;
    I would (AS)bind it on me as (AT)a crown;
37 I 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,
39 (AU)if I have eaten its yield without payment
    and made its owners (AV)breathe their last,
40 let (AW)thorns grow instead of wheat,
    and foul weeds instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:8 Or let my descendants
  2. Job 31:18 Hebrew he
  3. Job 31:18 Hebrew her
  4. Job 31:20 Hebrew if his loins have not blessed me
  5. Job 31:26 Hebrew the light
  6. Job 31:33 Or as Adam did