Job 31
1 A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
2 Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
Does not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot has hasted to deceit;
6 Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.
7 If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
If my step has turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot has cleaved to mine hands;
8 Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;
10 Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
11 Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
12 Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
For it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
13 If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
14 What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?
What then shall I do when God rises up? and when he visits, what shall I answer him?
15 Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
17 Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless has not eaten thereof;
18 Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
(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 saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
If I have seen any perish for lack of clothing, or any poor without covering;
20 If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:
22 Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
24 If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, You are my confidence;
25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
If I rejoice because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had got much;
26 If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
27 And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
And my heart has been secretly enticed, or my mouth has kissed my hand:
28 That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
If I rejoice at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
30 Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
31 If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.
32 Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
33 If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
34 Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of the door!
Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
35 Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.
36 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.
37 The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
38 If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
39 If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
40 Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
