23  For I was in terror of calamity from God,

and I could not have faced his ^ymajesty.

24  “If I have made gold my trust

or called fine gold my ^zconfidence,

25  if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant

or because my hand had found much,

26  if I have looked at the ^asun¹ when it shone,

or 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 an iniquity ^bto be punished by the judges,

for I would have been false to God above.

29  “If I have ^crejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,

or exulted when evil overtook him

30  (I have not let my mouth sin

by asking for his life with a ^dcurse),

31  if the men of my tent have not said,

‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?’

32  (the sojourner has not lodged in the street;

^eI have opened my doors to the traveler),

33  if I have ^fconcealed my transgressions as others do²

by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

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  ^gOh, that I had one to hear me!

(Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!)

Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!

36  Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;

I would bind it on me as 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 made its owners breathe their last,

40  let thorns grow instead of wheat,

and foul weeds instead of barley.”