Job 31

1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

2 For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high?

For what portion of Eloah is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

3 Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?

Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

4 Does He not see my ways and count my every step?

Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

5 If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

6 let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.

Let me be weighed in an even balance, that Eloah may know mine integrity.

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 step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

8 then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.

Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring 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 have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait 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 grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

11 For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.

For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

12 For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.

For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13 If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended 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 El riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

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 he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

16 If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,

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

17 if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless 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 he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb; )

19 if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

20 if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

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

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

22 then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.

Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

23 For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.

For destruction from El was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

24 If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

25 if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,

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

26 if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

27 so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

28 this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the El that is above.

29 If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

31 if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—

If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be 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 street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.

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

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

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—

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the 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.

Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.

Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

37 I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

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

If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

39 if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

40 then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.

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