Job 31
1 “I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
A covenant had I made with my eyes: how then should I fix my look on a virgin?
2 For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
And what then would have been my portion of God from above? and what lot of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
Is not calamity [ready] for the unjust? and misfortune for the wrong-doers?
4 Does not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
Behold, he truly seeth my ways, and numbereth all my steps;
5 “If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
[And knoweth] whether I have walked with vain desires, or if my foot hath hastened after deceit.
6 (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
Let him weigh me then in a righteous balance, and let God acknowledge my integrity,
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 aside from the [proper] way, and my heart have walked after my eyes, and if any blemish have cleaved to my hands:
8 then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
Then let me sow, and let another eat; and let what I have growing be rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,
If my heart have been beguiled toward a woman, or if I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door:
10 then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
Then may my wife labor at the mill for another, and may strangers ill-use her;
11 For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
For this would be incest; yea, it would be an iniquity [to be punished by] the judges;
12 for it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
For it would be a fire that consumeth down to the place of corruption, and would root out all my products.
13 “If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
If ever I cast aside the justice due to my man-servant and my maid-servant, 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 could I do when God should rise up? and when he should investigate, what could I answer him?
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make him? Did not one fashion us in the womb?
Did not he that made me make him born or a woman? and did not the same 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 ever I denied the wish of the indigent, or ever allowed the eyes of the widow to fall [in vain hopes];
17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
Or if ever I ate my bread by myself alone, and the fatherless did not eat 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 was brought up with me, as though we were of one father, and I have guided her [as though she was sprung] from my mother's womb; )
19 if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
If ever I saw any one perishing for want of clothing, or the needy without covering:
20 if his heart has not blessed me, if he has not been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
If his loins have not blessed me, and if he have not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;
If I have swung my hand against the fatherless, because I saw in the gate those that would help me:
22 then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
Then may my shoulder fall from my shoulder-blade, and my arm be broken from the channel-bone;
23 For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.
For dreaded by me was the calamitous punishment of God, and against his highness I can accomplish nothing.
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 confidence, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my trust:
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
If ever I rejoiced because my wealth was abundant, and because my hand had gotten much;
26 if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,
If ever I looked at the light [of the sun] when he shone brightly and on the moon walking in splendor:
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;
And my heart became misled in secret, and my hand kissed my mouth:
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 were an iniquity to be punished by the judge; for thus would I have denied the God that is above.
29 “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
If ever I rejoiced at the downfall of him that hated me, or was elated when evil befell him; —
30 (I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
But I suffered not my mouth to sin by denouncing with a curse his soul: —
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, Oh is there one that is not satisfied of his flesh; —
32 (the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
In the street a stranger had not to lodge; my doors I held open to the roadside;
33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
If I covered up my transgressions like a common man, by hiding in my bosom my iniquity;
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—
Because I dreaded the great multitude, or because the contempt of families did terrify me, so that I kept silence, and dared not to go 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 who will bring me one that would hear me! behold, here is my plea; may the Almighty answer me; and any record which my opponent may have written, —
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.
Surely upon my shoulder would I carry it: I would bind it as a crown unto me.
37 I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.
The number of my steps would I tell him: as [to] a prince would I go near unto him.—
38 If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
If my land ever cried out because of me, or if its furrows wept together;
39 if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
If I ever consumed its strength without payment, or caused the soul of its owners to grieve:
40 let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
Then may instead of wheat, thorns come forth, and instead of barley, cockle. (Here end the words of Job.)
