Job 31
1 Strenge Vorschrift gab ich meinen Augen, und wie hätte ich auf eine Jungfrau lüstern blicken sollen!
“I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].
2 Was wäre da die Zuteilung von Gotte droben und das Verhängnis des Allmächtigen in Himmelshöhen?
[If I did not do what I promised, ] what would God who is in heaven [MTY] do to me [RHQ]? Almighty [God] would certainly not [RHQ] give me any reward!
3 Ist es nicht Verderben für den Frevler und Unglück für die Übelthäter?
[Previously I thought that] surely [RHQ] it was unrighteous people who would experience calamities, and that it was those who do what is wrong who would experience disasters.
4 Sieht er nicht meine Wege und zählt alle meine Schritte?
God certainly sees [RHQ] everything that I do, [so why is he causing me to suffer?] [It is as though] he counts every step that I take.
5 Wenn ich mit Lüge umging, und mein Fuß dem Truge nachjagte, -
[“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
6 es wäge mich Gott mit rechter Wage, daß er meine Unschuld erkenne! -
I request only that God judge me fairly [MET], and if he does that, he will know that I (am innocent/have not done what is wrong).
7 wenn mein Schritt vom rechten Weg abwich, wenn mein Herz meinen Augen nachging, und an meinen Händen ein Makel klebte,
If [it were true that] I have stopped living righteously, or [that] I [SYN] have desired the things that I look at [MTY], or [that] I am guilty of any other sin,
8 so will ich säen und ein andrer möge essen, und meine Schößlinge mögen ausgerissen werden.
then I hope/wish that when I plant [seeds], someone else will [harvest the crops and] eat [them] and that others will uproot the [fruit trees] that I planted.
9 Wenn sich mein Herz wegen eines Weibes bethören ließ, und ich an der Thüre meines Nächsten lauerte,
“If [it were true that] I [SYN] have been attracted by some other man’s wife, or [that] I have hidden myself and waited outside [the] door [to] her [house],
10 so möge mein Weib einem anderen mahlen, und andere mögen sich über sie strecken.
I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
11 Denn eine Schandthat wäre das, ein Vergehen, vom Richter zu strafen,
[For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
12 ja, ein Feuer, das bis zum Abgrund fräße und alle meine Habe entwurzeln müßte.
My [committing adultery] would [produce in me a fire like] [MET] the fire that burns people in hell, and it would burn up everything that I own. (questioned)
13 Wenn ich das Recht meines Knechtes verachtete und das meiner Magd, wenn wir im Streite waren -
“And, if [it were true that] I have ever refused to listen to one of my male or female servants when they complained to me about something,
14 was wollte ich auch thun, wenn Gott sich erhöbe, und wenn er untersuchte, was ihm erwidern?
God would arise [and declare that he would punish me]; and when he would do that, what would I do? If he would ask me [about what I have done], (what would I answer?/I would not be able to answer.) [RHQ]
15 Hat nicht, der mich erschuf, im Mutterleib auch ihn geschaffen, und hat nicht Einer uns im Mutterschoß bereitet? -
God, who created me, certainly also created my servants [RHQ]; surely he is the one who formed them and me in our mothers’ wombs [RHQ]; [so we all should behave toward each other equally].
16 Wenn ich Geringen einen Wunsch versagte und die Augen der Witwe verschmachten ließ,
“I have guided orphans from the time that they were born; I have taken care of them since they were young. So, if [it were true that] I ate all my food myself and did not share some of it with orphans, or [that] I refused to give poor people the things that they wanted, or [that] I caused widows to live (in despair/without hope [that they would receive any help from anyone]),
17 wenn ich meinen Bissen allein verzehrte, und die Waise nicht ihr Teil davon genoß -
18 nein, seit meiner Jugend wuchs sie mir auf wie einem Vater, von Mutterleib an leitete ich sie -
19 wenn ich einen Verkommenden sah ohne Gewand und ohne Decke einen Armen,
or [that] I had seen people die [from cold] because they had no clothes, or [that] I had seen poor people who did not have clothes [to keep them warm],
20 wenn meine Hüften mich nicht gesegnet haben, und er sich nicht erwärmte von meiner Lämmer Schur. -
and they were not able to become warm [from clothes made] from the wool of my sheep with the result that they thanked me for [giving them clothes, ]
21 Wenn ich gegen eine Waise meine Faust geschwungen, weil ich im Thore Beistand für mich sah,
or if [it were true that] I threatened to strike any orphan because I knew that the elders at the city gates would (decide in my favor);
22 so möge meine Achsel aus ihrer Schulter fallen, und mein Arm mir aus seiner Röhre gebrochen werden.
[if those things were true about me], I hope/desire that my shoulder blade would be torn out and my arm be torn from my shoulder.
23 Denn furchtbar war mir das von Gott verhängte Verderben, und ohnmächtig bin ich vor seiner Majestät.
I always feared that God would cause me to experience a great disaster [if I did any of those evil things], and I would not have been able to endure the powerful [things that he would do to punish me].
24 Wenn ich Gold zu meinem Hort gemacht und Feingold meinen Trost genannt habe,
“If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
25 wenn ich mich freute, daß mein Schatz so groß, und daß meine Hand so viel erworben -
or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
26 Wenn ich das Sonnenlicht betrachtete, wie es strahlte, und den Mond, wie er so prächtig dahinwallte,
or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon
27 und mein Herz sich insgeheim bethören ließ, und meine Hand sich zum Kuß an meinen Mund legte -
and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
28 auch das wäre ein Vergehen, vom Richter zu strafen, weil ich Gotte droben geheuchelt hätte -
those things also would be sins for which the judges would say that I must be punished, because I would have been rejecting God [by doing those things].
29 Wenn ich mich freute über das Unglück meines Feindes und frolockte, wenn ihn Unheil traf, -
“[It is not true that] I [SYN] sinned by requesting God to curse people who hated me with the result that God would cause them to die. It is also not true that I was glad when they were ruined or that I rejoiced when they experienced disasters [DOU].
30 aber nie habe ich meinem Munde gestattet, zu sündigen, indem ich ihm fluchend den Tod anwünschte -
31 Wenn meine Hausgenossen nicht sagen mußten: “Wann wäre jemand von seinem Fleische nicht satt geworden!”
[It is also not true that] I never welcomed travelers to stay in my tent or that I did not open my doors to them, but [forced them to] sleep in the streets. [All] the men who work for me certainly know that [RHQ]!
32 Der Fremdling durfte nicht im Freien übernachten, meine Thüren öffnete ich dem Wanderer -
33 Wenn ich, wie Menschen thun, meine Sünden verheimlichte, indem ich meine Schuld in meinem Busen verbarg,
Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
34 weil ich mich scheute vor der großen Menge, und die Verachtung der Geschlechter mich schreckte, so daß ich mich still verhielt, nicht aus der Thüre ging -
and I never remained silent and refused to go outside of my home because I was very (afraid of/worried about) what people would say [about me], and that they would hate/scorn me.
35 O wäre doch, der mich anhören wollte! Hier meine Unterschrift - der Allmächtige antworte mir! Und hätte ich doch die KLageschrift, die mein Gegner schrieb!
“I wish/desire that there was someone who would hear what I am saying! I solemnly declare [that all that I have said is true]. I wish that those who oppose me would write down [on a scroll] the evil things that they say that I did.
36 Fürwahr, ich wollte sie auf meine Schulter heben, als Diadem mir um die Schläfe winden;
[If they did that, ] I would wear that scroll on my shoulder, or wear it on top of my head, [in order that everyone could see it].
37 ich wollte ihm jeden meiner Schritte künden und wie ein Fürst ihm entgegen treten! Hier enden die Reden Hiobs.
I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
38 Wenn über mich mein Acker schrie, und insgesamt seine Furchen weinten;
If [it were true that] I have stolen land, with the result that [it was as though] its furrows cried out to accuse me of stealing;
39 wenn ich seinen Ertrag ohne Entgelt verzehrte und seinem Besitzer das Leben ausblies -
or [if it were true that] I have eaten the crops that grew in someone else’s fields without paying [for those crops], with the result that those farmers who grew those crops died [from hunger];
40 so sollen statt Weizen Dornen aufgehen und statt der Gerste Unkraut.
then I wish/desire that thorns would grow [in my fields] instead of wheat. May bad weeds grow instead of barley!” That is the end of what Job said [to his three friends].
