Job 31

1 I made a covenant with mine eyes, and I will not think upon a virgin.

I made a covenant with mine eyes; and how should I fix my regard upon a maid?

2 Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance [given] of the Mighty One from the highest?

For what would have been [my] portion of God from above, and what the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

3 Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity.

Is not calamity for the unrighteous? and misfortune for the workers of iniquity?

4 Will he not see my way, and number all my steps?

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

5 But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit:

If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot hath hasted to deceit,

6 (for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence: )

(Let me be weighed in an even balance, and God will take knowledge of my blamelessness; )

7 if my foot has turned aside out of the way, or if mine heart has followed mine eye, and if too I have touched gifts with my hands;

If my step have turned out of the way, and my heart followed mine eyes, and if any blot cleaveth to my hands;

8 then let me sow, and let others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth.

Let me sow, and another eat; and let mine offspring be rooted out.

9 If my heart has gone forth after another man's wife, and if I laid wait at her doors;

If my heart have been enticed unto a woman, so that I laid wait at my neighbour's door,

10 then let my wife also please another, and let my children be brought low.

Let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down upon her.

11 For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, [in the case] of defiling [another] man's wife.

For this is an infamy; yea, it is an iniquity [to be judged by] the judges:

12 For it is a fire burning on every side, and whomsoever it attacks, it utterly destroys.

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

13 And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or [my] handmaid, when they pleaded with me;

If I have despised the cause of my bondman or of my bondmaid, when they contended with me,

14 what then shall I do if the Lord should try me? and if also he should at all visit me, can I make an answer?

What then should I do when God riseth up? and if he visited, what should I answer him?

15 Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yea, we were formed in the same womb.

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

16 But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail.

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

17 And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart [of it] to the orphan;

Or have eaten my morsel alone, so that the fatherless ate not thereof,

18 (for I nourished [them] as a father from my youth and guided [them] from my mother's womb.)

(For from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have guided the [widow] from my mother's womb; )

19 And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him;

If I have seen any perishing for want of clothing, or any needy without covering;

20 and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were [not] warmed with the fleece of my lambs;

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

21 if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior [to his]:

If I have lifted up my hand against an orphan, because I saw my help in the gate:

22 let them my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow.

[Then] let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone!

23 For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I cannot bear up by reason of his burden.

For calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his excellency I was powerless.

24 If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone;

If I have made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold, My confidence!

25 and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable [treasures]:

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

26 (do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not [power to continue]: )

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

27 and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it:

And my heart have been secretly enticed, so that my mouth kissed my hand:

28 let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I [should] have lied against the Lord Most High.

This also would be an iniquity for the judge, for I should have denied the God who is above.

29 And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha!

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, and exulted when evil befell him;

30 let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a byword among my people in my affliction.

(Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse; )

31 And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind:

If the men of my tent said not, Who shall find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat? —

32 for the stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came: )

The stranger did not lodge without; I opened my doors to the pathway.

33 or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin;

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

34 (for I did not stand in awe of a great multitude, so as not to declare boldly before them: ) and if too I permitted a poor man to go out of my door with an empty bosom:

Because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and went not out of the door, ...

35 (Oh that I had a hearer, ) and if I had not feared the hand of the Lord; and [as to] the written charge which I had against any one,

Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold my signature: let the Almighty answer me! And let mine opponent write an accusation!

36 I would place [it] as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it.

Would I not take it upon my shoulder? I would bind it on to me [as] a crown;

37 And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor:

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

38 If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together;

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

39 and if I ate its strength alone without price, and if I too grieved the heart of the owner of the soil, by taking [aught] from [him]:

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, and have tormented to death the souls of its owners:

40 then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking.

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