Job 31
1 I reached an agreement with my eyes, that I would not so much as think about a virgin.
I made a covenant with mine eyes; how then should I look upon a maid?
2 For what portion should God from above hold for me, and what inheritance should the Almighty from on high keep?
For what would be the portion of God from above, and the heritage of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is not destruction held for the wicked and repudiation kept for those who work injustice?
Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
4 Does he not examine my ways and number all my steps?
Doth not He see my ways, and count all my steps?
5 If I have walked in vanity, or if my foot has hurried towards deceitfulness,
If I have walked with vanity, and my foot hath hasted to deceit —
6 let him weigh me in a just balance, and let God know my simplicity.
Let me be weighed in a just balance, that God may know mine integrity —
7 If my steps have turned aside from the way, or if my heart has followed my eyes, or if a blemish has clung to my hands,
If my step hath turned out of the way, and my heart walked after mine eyes, and if any spot hath cleaved to my hands;
8 then may I sow, and let another consume, and let my offspring be eradicated.
Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
9 If my heart has been deceived over a woman, or if I have waited in ambush at my friend’s door,
If my heart have been enticed unto a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbour's door;
10 then let my wife be the harlot of another, and let other men lean over her.
Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
11 For this is a crime and a very great injustice.
For that were a heinous crime; yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
12 It is a fire devouring all the way to perdition, and it roots out all that springs forth.
For it is a fire that consumeth unto destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
13 If I have despised being subject to judgment with my servant or my maid, when they had any complaint against me,
If I did despise the cause of my man-servant, or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me —
14 then what will I do when God rises to judge, and, when he inquires, how will I respond to him?
What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when He remembereth, what shall I answer Him?
15 Is not he who created me in the womb, also he who labored to make him? And did not one and the same form me 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 poor what they wanted and have made the eyes of the widow wait;
If I have withheld aught that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
17 if I have eaten my morsel of food alone, while orphans have not eaten from it;
Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof —
18 (for from my infancy mercy grew with me, and it came out with me from my mother’s womb; )
Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have been her guide from my mother's womb.
19 if I have looked down on him who was perishing because he had no clothing and the poor without any covering,
If I have seen any wanderer in want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
20 if his sides have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed 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 over an orphan, even when it might seem to me that I have the advantage over him at the gate;
If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;
22 then may my shoulder fall from its joint, and may my arm, with all its bones, be broken.
Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 For I have always feared God, like waves flowing over me, whose weight I was unable to bear.
For calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of His majesty I could do nothing.
24 If I have considered gold to be my strength, or if I have called purified gold ‘my Trust;’
If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold: 'Thou art my confidence';
25 if I have rejoiced over my great success, and over the many things my hand has obtained;
If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
26 if I gazed upon the sun when it shined and the moon advancing brightly,
If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
27 so that my heart rejoiced in secret and I kissed my hand with my mouth,
And my heart hath been secretly enticed, and my mouth hath kissed my hand;
28 which is a very great iniquity and a denial against the most high God;
This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for I should have lied to God that is above.
29 if I have been glad at the ruin of him who hated me and have exulted that evil found him,
If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or exulted when evil found him —
30 for I have not been given my throat to sin by asking for a curse on his soul;
Yea, I suffered not my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse.
31 if the men around my tabernacle have not said: “He might give us some of his food, so that we will be filled,”
If the men of my tent said not: 'Who can find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat?'
32 for the foreigner did not remain at the door, my door was open to the traveler;
The stranger did not lodge in the street; my doors I opened to the roadside.
33 if, as man does, I have hidden my sin and have concealed my iniquity in my bosom;
If after the manner of men I covered my transgressions, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom —
34 if I became frightened by an excessive crowd, and the disrespect of close relatives alarmed me, so that I would much rather have remained silent or have gone out the door;
Because I feared the great multitude, and the most contemptible among families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and went not out of the door.
35 then, would he grant me a hearing, so that the Almighty would listen to my desire, and he who judges would himself write a book,
Oh that I had one to hear me! — Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me — and that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written!
36 which I would then carry on my shoulder and wrap around me like a crown?
Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown.
37 With each of my steps, I would pronounce and offer it, as if to a prince.
I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
38 So, if my land cries out against me, and if its furrows weep with it,
If my land cry out against me, and the furrows thereof weep together;
39 if I have used its fruits for nothing but money and have afflicted the souls of its tillers,
If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the tillers thereof to be disappointed —
40 then, may thistles spring forth for me instead of grain, and thorns instead of barley. (This ended the words of Job.)
Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and noisome weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
