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Job Finishes His Defence

29Job again took up his discourse and said:
²⁴ ‘If I have made gold my trust,
   or called fine gold my confidence;
²⁵ if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
   or because my hand had acquired much;
²⁶ if I have looked at the sun^* when it shone,
   or the moon moving in splendour,
²⁷ and my heart has been secretly enticed,
   and my mouth has kissed my hand;
²⁸ this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
   for I should have been false to God above.

²⁹ ‘If I have rejoiced at the ruin of those who hated me,
   or exulted when evil overtook them—
³⁰ I have not let my mouth sin
   by asking for their lives with a curse—
³¹ if those of my tent ever said,
   “O that we might be sated with his flesh!”^*—
³² the stranger has not lodged in the street;
   I have opened my doors to the traveller—
³³ if I have concealed my transgressions as others do,^*
   by hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
³⁴ because I stood in great fear of the multitude,
   and the contempt of families terrified me,
   so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
³⁵ O that I had one to hear me!
   (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty^* answer me!)
   O that I had the indictment written by my adversary!
³⁶ Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
   I would bind it on me like 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 if I have eaten its yield without payment,
   and caused the death of its owners;
⁴⁰ let thorns grow instead of wheat,
   and foul weeds instead of barley.’

The words of Job are ended.