Job 31
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
A covenant had I made with my eyes: how then should I fix my look on a virgin?
2 For what is the allotment of God from above, or 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 Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?
Is not calamity [ready] for the unjust? and misfortune for the wrong-doers?
4 Does He not see my ways and count my every step?
Behold, he truly seeth my ways, and numbereth all my steps;
5 If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
[And knoweth] whether I have walked with vain desires, or if my foot hath hastened after deceit.
6 let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.
Let him weigh me then in a righteous balance, and let God acknowledge my 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 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 may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
Then let me sow, and let another eat; and let what I have growing be rooted out.
9 If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,
If my heart have been beguiled toward a woman, or if I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door:
10 then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men 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, an iniquity to be judged.
For this would be incest; yea, it would be 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 would be a fire that consumeth down to the place of corruption, and would root out all my products.
13 If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
If ever I cast aside the justice due to my man-servant and my maid-servant, 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 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 also make them? Did not the same One form 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 denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes 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 if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—
Or if ever I ate my bread by myself alone, and the fatherless did not eat 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 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 one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,
If ever I saw any one perishing for want of clothing, or the needy 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 have not been 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 swung my hand against the fatherless, because I saw in the gate those that would help me:
22 then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.
Then may my shoulder fall from my shoulder-blade, and my arm be broken from the channel-bone;
23 For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.
For dreaded by me was the calamitous punishment of God, and against his highness I can accomplish nothing.
24 If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
If I have made gold my confidence, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my trust:
25 if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,
If ever I rejoiced because my wealth was abundant, and because my hand had gotten much;
26 if I have beheld the sun in its radiance 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 so that my heart was 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 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 thus would I have denied the God that is above.
29 If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
If ever I rejoiced at the downfall of him that hated me, or was elated when evil befell him; —
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for 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 house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
If the men of my tent said not, Oh is there one that is not satisfied of his flesh; —
32 but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—
In the street a stranger had not to lodge; my doors I held open to the roadside;
33 if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
If I covered up my transgressions like a common man, by hiding in my bosom my iniquity;
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—
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! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an 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 wear it like a crown.
Surely upon my shoulder would I carry it: I would bind it as a crown unto me.
37 I would give account of all my steps; I would approach 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 devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
If I ever consumed its strength without payment, or caused the soul of its owners to grieve:
40 then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
Then may instead of wheat, thorns come forth, and instead of barley, cockle. (Here end the words of Job.)
