Job 31
1 A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?
2 Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven?
3 Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers?
4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered?
5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit;
6 Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!
(Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness: )
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 steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands;
8 Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted.
9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door;
10 Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body.
11 Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out 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.
It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.
13 If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,
If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law 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 will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?
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 God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies?
16 If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose;
17 Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;
If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father;
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 I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother; )
19 If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him;
20 If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;
21 If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges;
22 Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.
23 For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.
24 If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you;
25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store;
26 If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,
27 And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth;
28 That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high.
29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him;
30 Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
(For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life; )
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 did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?
32 Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey;
33 If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast,
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!
For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my 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!
If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing!
36 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to 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 make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended.
38 If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow;
39 If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners;
40 Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants.
