Job 31
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
I made a couenant with mine eyes: why then should I thinke on a mayde?
2 For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high?
For what portion should I haue of God from aboue? and what inheritance of the Almightie from on hie?
3 Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?
Is not destruction to the wicked and strange punishment to the workers of iniquitie?
4 Does He not see my ways and count my every step?
Doeth not he beholde my wayes and tell all my steps?
5 If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
If I haue walked in vanitie, or if my foote hath made haste to deceite,
6 let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.
Let God weigh me in the iust balance, and he shall know mine vprightnes.
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 steppe hath turned out of the way, or mine heart hath walked after mine eye, or if any blot hath cleaued to mine handes,
8 then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
Let me sowe, and let another eate: yea, let my plantes be rooted out.
9 If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,
If mine heart hath bene deceiued by a woman, or if I haue layde wayte at the doore of my neighbour,
10 then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her.
Let my wife grinde vnto another man, and let other men bow downe vpon her:
11 For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.
For this is a wickednes, and iniquitie to bee condemned:
12 For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.
Yea, this is a fire that shall deuoure to destruction, and which shall roote out al mine increase,
13 If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
If I did contemne the iudgement of my seruant, and of my mayde, when they did contend with me,
14 what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?
What then shall I do when God standeth vp? and when he shall visit me, what shall I answere?
15 Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?
He that hath made me in the wombe, hath he not made him? hath not he alone facioned vs in the wombe?
16 If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
If I restrained the poore of their desire, or haue caused the eyes of the widow to faile,
17 if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—
Or haue eaten my morsels alone, and the fatherles hath not eaten thereof,
18 though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—
(For from my youth hee hath growen vp with me as with a father, and from my mothers wombe I haue bene a guide vnto her)
19 if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,
If I haue seene any perish for want of clothing, or any poore without couering,
20 if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
If his loynes haue not blessed me, because he was warmed with the fleece of my sheepe,
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate,
If I haue lift vp mine hande against the fatherlesse, when I saw that I might helpe him in the gate,
22 then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.
Let mine arme fal from my shoulder, and mine arme be broken from the bone.
23 For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.
For Gods punishment was fearefull vnto me, and I could not be deliuered from his highnes.
24 If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
If I made gold mine hope, or haue sayd to the wedge of golde, Thou art my confidence,
25 if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,
If I reioyced because my substance was great, or because mine hand had gotten much,
26 if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
If I did behold the sunne, when it shined, or the moone, walking in her brightnes,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
If mine heart did flatter me in secrete, or if my mouth did kisse mine hand,
28 this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.
(This also had bene an iniquitie to be condemned: for I had denied the God aboue)
29 If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
If I reioyced at his destruction that hated me, or was mooued to ioye when euill came vpon him,
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—
Neither haue I suffred my mouth to sinne, by wishing a curse vnto his soule.
31 if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
Did not the men of my Tabernacle say, Who shall giue vs of his flesh? we can not bee satisfied.
32 but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—
The stranger did not lodge in the streete, but I opened my doores vnto him, that went by the way.
33 if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
If I haue hid my sinne, as Adam, concealing mine iniquitie in my bosome,
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—
Though I could haue made afraid a great multitude, yet the most contemptible of the families did feare me: so I kept silence, and went not out of the doore.
35 (Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.
Oh that I had some to heare me! beholde my signe that the Almightie will witnesse for me: though mine aduersary should write a booke against me,
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.
Woulde not I take it vpon my shoulder, and binde it as a crowne vnto me?
37 I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—
I will tell him the nomber of my goings, and goe vnto him as to a prince.
38 if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together,
If my lande cry against me, or the furrowes thereof complayne together,
39 if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
If I haue eaten the fruites thereof without siluer: or if I haue grieued the soules of the masters thereof,
40 then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
Let thistles growe in steade of wheate, and cockle in the stead of Barley. The wordes of Iob are ended.
