1 I have made a solemn promise
never to look with lust at a woman.
2 What does Almighty God do to us?
How does he repay human deeds?
3 He sends disaster and ruin
to those who do wrong.
4 God knows everything I do;
he sees every step I take.
5 I swear I have never acted wickedly
and never tried to deceive others.
6 Let God weigh me on honest scales,
and he will see how innocent I am.
7 If I have turned from the right path
or let myself be attracted to evil,
if my hands are stained with sin,
8 then let my crops be destroyed,
or let others eat the food I grow.
9 If I have been attracted to my neighbor's wife,
and waited, hidden, outside her door,
10 then let my wife cook another man's food
and sleep in another man's bed.
11 Such wickedness should be punished by death.
12 It would be like a destructive, hellish fire,
consuming everything I have.
13 When any of my servants complained against me,
I would listen and treat them fairly.
14 If I did not, how could I then face God?
What could I say when God came to judge me?
15 The same God who created me
created my servants also.
16 I have never refused to help the poor;
never have I let widows live in despair
17 or let orphans go hungry while I ate.
18 All my life I have taken care of them.
19 When I found someone in need,
too poor to buy clothes,
20 I would give him clothing made of wool
that had come from my own flock of sheep.
Then he would praise me with all his heart.
21 If I have ever cheated an orphan,
knowing I could win in court,
22 then may my arms be broken;
may they be torn from my shoulders.
23 Because I fear God's punishment,
I could never do such a thing.
24 I have never trusted in riches
25 or taken pride in my wealth.
26 I have never worshiped the sun in its brightness
or the moon in all its beauty.
27 I have not been led astray to honor them
by kissing my hand in reverence to them.
28 Such a sin should be punished by death;
it denies Almighty God.
29 I have never been glad when my enemies suffered,
or pleased when they met with disaster;
30 I never sinned by praying for their death.
31 All those who work for me know
that I have always welcomed strangers.
32 I invited travelers into my home
and never let them sleep in the streets.
33 Others try to hide their sins,
but I have never concealed mine.
34 I have never feared what people would say;
I have never kept quiet or stayed indoors
because I feared their scorn.
35 Will no one listen to what I am saying?
I swear that every word is true.
Let Almighty God answer me.
If the charges my opponent brings against me
were written down so that I could see them,
36 I would wear them proudly on my shoulder
and place them on my head like a crown.
37 I would tell God everything I have done,
and hold my head high in his presence.
38 If I have stolen the land I farm
and taken it from its rightful owners—
39 if I have eaten the food that grew there
but let the farmers that grew it starve—
40 then instead of wheat and barley,
may weeds and thistles grow.
The words of Job are ended.
Ījabs pastāv uz savu godīgumu
1 Derību slēdzu ar savām acīm,
ka uz jaunavu pat neskatīšos!
2 Kādu daļu man dos Dievs augšā?
Ko man mantot no Visuvarenā augstumos?
3 Vai nenāks posts pār netaisno,
vai netiks atmests ļaundaris?
4 Vai viņš neuzmana manus ceļus,
vai neskaita man ik soli?
5 Vai es niecībā staigājis esmu,
vai kājas man steigušās uz viltu?
6 Lai viņš sver mani taisnības svaros,
lai Dievs manu krietnumu izzina!
7 Ja soļi man novērsušies no ceļa,
ja sirds steigusi acīm līdzi,
ja negods lipis pie plaukstām –
8 tad lai es sēju, bet cits lai ēd
un manus dēstus lai izplūc!
9 Ja mana sirds sievietei ļāvās,
ja glūnēju pie kaimiņa sliekšņa,
10 tad lai mana sieva citam maļ,
lai citi pie viņas guļ –
11 jo tā būtu nešķīstība
un vaina, kas jānes pie tiesas! –
12 un uguns, kas noēd līdz pazušanai
visu manu guvumu līdz pat saknēm!
13 Ja darīju pāri savam kalpam
vai kalponei, kad tie ar mani gāja tiesā,
14 ko tad man darīt, kad celtos Dievs?
Kad viņš sauktu – ko atbildēt man?
15 Viņš mātes miesās mūs radīja abus,
viņš mātes klēpī mūs darināja!
16 Vai esmu nabagiem liedzis prieku
vai atraitnes acīm licis raudāt,
17 vai ēdu savu kumosu viens,
vai bārenim no tā nedevu?
18 Šim mazam mācību devu kā tēvs,
kopš mātes klēpja šai izlīdzēju.
19 Ja redzēju kādu pliku nīkstam
vai kad bēdulim apsega nebij –
20 vai viņa gurni neslavēja mani,
ka silda tos manu jēru vilna?
21 Ja es cēlis pret bāreni roku,
zinādams sev atbalstu tiesā,
22 tad lai man lāpstiņas atlīp no pleciem,
lai roka nolūst no delma!
23 Jo biedē mani Dieva posts
un viņa dižuma es nejaudāju!
24 Vai uz zeltu es paļāvos
un kalumiem teicu: ak, jūs mans balsts!?
25 Vai priecājos, ka man mantas daudz,
ka diženi guvusi mana roka?
26 Vai lūkojos saulē, kā tā spīd,
un uz mēnesi – cik lepni staigā!
27 Vai mana sirds tiem paslepen ļāvās
un es tiem sūtīju skūpstu? –
28 tas būtu grēks, kas nesams pie tiesas, –
es būtu noliedzies Dievu tur augšā!
29 Vai priecājos par mana naidnieka postu,
vai tīksminājos, kad tam gāja ļauni?
30 Es taču neļāvu aukslējām grēkot
un viņa dzīvību nelādēju!
31 Vai tad neteica mana nama ļaudis:
ikviens ir paēdis pie viņa podiem? –
32 Svešinieks nenakšņoja laukā,
ceļiniekam es atvēru durvis.
33 Vai es kā Ādams slēpu vainu
vai azotē glabāju grēku,
34 vai baidījos ļaužu pūļa
vai radu nievu es bijos,
aiz kauna nekāpdams slieksnim pāri?
35 Kaut būtu, kas uzklausa mani!
Te mana liecība – lai Visuvarenais atbild!
Lai grāmatu raksta, kas nāk ar mani tiesā!
36 Tiešām, uz pleciem nēsāšu to,
kā vainagu galvā to likšu!
37 Atklāšu savas gaitas viņam,
kā lielkunga priekšā stāšos viņa priekšā.
38 Ja mani tīrumi pret mani sauktu,
ja vienā balsī vagas kliegtu,
39 ka es ražu bez maksas ēdu
un tās saimniekus postā dzenu, –
40 tad lai kviešu vietā aug dzelkšņi
un miežu vietā nezāles!”
Ījaba runas beidzas.
