Job 31

1 I made a covenant with my eyes. How then should I look upon a virgin?

I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?

2 For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?

For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven?

3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers?

4 Does he not see my ways, and number all my steps?

Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered?

5 If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hastened to deceit

If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit;

6 (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);

(Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness: )

7 if my step has turned out of the way, and my heart walked after my eyes, and if any spot has clung to my hands,

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 then let me sow, and let another eat, yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

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 has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor's door,

If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door;

10 then let my wife grind to another, and let others bow down upon her.

Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body.

11 For that is a heinous crime, yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges:

12 For it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.

It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.

13 If I have despised the case of my man-servant or of my maid-servant 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 shall I do when God rises up? And when he visits, what shall I answer 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 made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?

Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies?

16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose;

17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it

If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father;

18 (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and her I have guided from my mother's womb);

(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 have seen any perish 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 have not blessed me, and if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;

21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,

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 then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.

May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.

23 For calamity from God is a terror to me, and I can do nothing because of his majesty.

For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.

24 If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, Thou are 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 have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store;

26 if I have beheld the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in brightness,

If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,

27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand

A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth;

28 (this also is an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God that is 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 I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him

If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him;

30 (yea, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);

(For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life; )

31 if the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one who has not been filled with his food?

If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?

32 (the sojourner has not lodged in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);

The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey;

33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions by hiding my iniquity in my bosom

If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast,

34 because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me so that I kept silence, and did 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 O that I had someone to hear me (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me), and that I had the indictment which my adversary has 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 Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder. I would bind it to me as a crown.

Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown;

37 I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him as a prince.

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 my land cries out against me, and the furrows of it weep together;

If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow;

39 if I have eaten the fruits of it without money, or have caused the owners of it to lose their lives,

If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners;

40 let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants.