Job 31
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?
2 For what is the allotment of God from above, or 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 Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity 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 count my every step?
Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered?
5 If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit;
6 let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.
(Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness: )
7 If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if impurity has stuck 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 may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops 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 has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,
If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door;
10 then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her.
Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body.
11 For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.
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 burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.
It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.
13 If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against 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 will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?
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 also make them? Did not the same One form 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 denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose;
17 if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—
If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father;
18 though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—
(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 one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,
If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him;
20 if his heart has not blessed me for warming him 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 that I had support 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 may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.
May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.
23 For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.
For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.
24 If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
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 in my great wealth because my hand had gained so 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 in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth;
28 this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.
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 in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him;
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for 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 house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?
32 but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open 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 I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast,
34 because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—
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! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.
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 on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.
Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown;
37 I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like 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 its furrows weep together,
If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow;
39 if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners;
40 then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants.
