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; how then should I look 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 [is] the portion of God from above, and the heritage of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
Doth not he see my ways, and number all my steps?
5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
If I have walked with vanity, and my foot hath 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 hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any spot hath 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 the produce of my field 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 enticed unto a woman, and 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 that were an heinous crime; yea, it were 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 consumeth unto 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 riseth up? and when he visiteth, 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 alone, and the fatherless hath 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:
(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have been her guide 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 want of clothing, or that the needy had no 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, because 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 my shoulder fall from the 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 calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his excellency I could do nothing.
24 If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, [Thou art] my confidence;
25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten 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 hath been secretly enticed, and my mouth hath 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 judges: for I should have lied to God that is above.
29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
If I rejoiced 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:
(Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse; )
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 tent said not, Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his flesh?
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 like Adam I covered my transgressions, 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!
Because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so 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 I had one to hear me! (lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me; ) and [that I had] the indictment which mine adversary hath written!
36 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown.
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 out against me, and the furrows thereof weep together;
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.
