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; How then could I gaze upon a maid?

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

For what is the portion appointed by God from above, And the inheritance allotted by the Almighty from on high?

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

Is not destruction for the wicked, And ruin for the workers of iniquity?

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

Doth He not 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 if my foot hath hasted to deceit,

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

Let him weigh me in an even balance; Yea, let God know 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 steps have turned aside from the way, And my heart gone after mine eyes, Or if any stain hath cleaved to my hand,

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

Then I may sow, and another eat; And what I plant, may it be rooted up!

9 “If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,

If my heart hath been enticed by a woman, Or if I have watched at my neighbor's door,

10 then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.

Then let my wife grind for another, And let other men lie with her!

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

For this were a heinous crime, Even a transgression to be punished by the judges;

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

Yea, it were a fire that would consume to destruction, And root out all my 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 refused justice to my man-servant or maid-servant, When they had a controversy with me,

14 what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?

Then what shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall 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 in the womb make him? 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 refused the poor their desire, And caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

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

If I have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not partaken of it;

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

(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And I have helped 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 one perishing for want of clothing, Or any poor man 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 he hath 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 shaken my hand against the fatherless, 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 may my shoulder fill from its blade, And my fore-arm be broken from its bone!

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

For destruction from God was a terror to me, And before his majesty I could do 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 trust, Or said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

If I have rejoiced, because my wealth was great, And my hand had found abundance;

26 if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,

If I have beheld the sun in his splendor, Or the moon advancing in brightness,

27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath 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 were a crime to be punished by 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 have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, And exulted when evil came upon him;

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

(Nay, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, By asking with curses his life; )

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 have not exclaimed, “Who is there 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 traveler);

The stranger did not lodge in the street; I opened my doors to the traveller.

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

Have I, after the manner of men, hidden my transgression, Concealing my iniquity in my bosom,

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—

Then let me be confounded before the great multitude! Let the contempt of families cover me with shame! Yea, let me keep silence! let me never appear abroad!

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!

O that there were one who would hear me! Behold my signature! let the Almighty answer me. And let mine adversary write down his charge!

36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.

Truly I would wear it upon my shoulder; I would bind it upon 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 disclose to him all my steps; I would approach him like a prince.

38 If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;

If my land cry out against me, And its furrows bewail together;

39 if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,

If I have eaten of its fruits without payment, And wrung out the life of its owners,

40 let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.

Let thorns grow up instead of wheat, And noxious weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.