(9) В¶ 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) В¶ 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) В¶ 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.
I shall not in a work of this nature enter into the investigation of the several particulars of sin Job here enumerates, and of the commission of which he pleads his innocency; for general observations will suit the whole. Job's friends had been particular in their accusations against him. Eliphaz had charged him with having withheld his bread from the hungry; that his wickedness was great, and that he had taken a pledge from his brother for naught, and stripped the naked of their clothing. Chapter 22:5-7. Job therefore enters into a particular defense of himself from all these charges; and shows here, as in the former instances, that not only a consciousness of the common equality in nature, between himself and his servant, would have induced tenderness, but a consciousness of GOD that was above, his love and reverence for his highness, would have suppressed such evils. And the good man, in a most beautiful and interesting manner, enters into an appeal against these charges, and desires punishment, suited to the enormity of such offences, if he had, in any instance, exercised such cruelty. Reader, how sweet is it to have our nature brought under the trainment of grace, and to behold, under JESUS'S example of meekness and lowliness of heart, the SPIRIT of JESUS ruling our hearts and minds, in the following his blessed steps.