Job 31
1 “I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
I made a covenant with mine eyes; and how should I fix my regard upon a maid?
2 For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
For what would have been [my] portion of God from above, and what the heritage of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
Is not calamity for the unrighteous? and misfortune for the workers of iniquity?
4 Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?
Doth not he see my ways, and number all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot hath hasted to deceit,
6 (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
(Let me be weighed in an even balance, and God will take knowledge of my blamelessness; )
7 if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
If my step have turned out of the way, and my heart followed mine eyes, and if any blot cleaveth to my hands;
8 then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
Let me sow, and another eat; and let mine offspring be rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door,
If my heart have been enticed unto a woman, so that I laid wait at my neighbour's door,
10 then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
Let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down upon her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
For this is an infamy; yea, it is an iniquity [to be judged by] the judges:
12 for it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
13 “If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
If I have despised the cause of my bondman or of my bondmaid, when they contended with me,
14 what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?
What then should I do when God riseth up? and if he visited, what should I answer him?
15 Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?
Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not One fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
Or have eaten my morsel alone, so that the fatherless ate not thereof,
18 (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);
(For from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have guided the [widow] from my mother's womb; )
19 if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
If I have seen any perishing for want of clothing, or any needy without covering;
20 if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my lambs;
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;
If I have lifted up my hand against an orphan, because I saw my help in the gate:
22 then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
[Then] let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone!
23 For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.
For calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his excellency I was powerless.
24 “If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’
If I have made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold, My confidence!
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
26 if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendour,
If I beheld the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in brightness,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;
And my heart have been secretly enticed, so that my mouth kissed my hand:
28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
This also would be an iniquity for the judge, for I should have denied the God who is above.
29 “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, and exulted when evil befell him;
30 (I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
(Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse; )
31 if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’
If the men of my tent said not, Who shall find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat? —
32 (the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveller);
The stranger did not lodge without; I opened my doors to the pathway.
33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,
34 because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t 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! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!
Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold my signature: let the Almighty answer me! And let mine opponent write an accusation!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.
Would I not take it upon my shoulder? I would bind it on to me [as] a crown;
37 I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.
I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I come near to him.
38 If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
If my land cry out against me, and its furrows weep together;
39 if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, and have tormented to death the souls of its owners:
40 let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and tares instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
