Job 31

1 I vowed to myself never to look with desire at young women.

I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?

2 What should people expect to receive from God? What reward should the Almighty on high give them?

For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven?

3 Isn't it disaster for the wicked and destruction for those who do wrong?

Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers?

4 Doesn't God see everything I do—even count every step I take?

Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered?

5 Have I lived a deceitful life? Have I been eager to tell lies?

If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit;

6 No! Let God weigh me on the scales of his justice and let him discover my integrity.

(Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness: )

7 If I have wandered from God's way, if I have let what I see become my desires, if there's any stain of sin on my hands,

If my steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands;

8 then let someone else eat what I have sown, and all that I have grown be uprooted.

Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted.

9 If a woman has seduced me, or if I have looked for an opportunity to sleep with my neighbor's wife,

If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door;

10 then let my wife serve another, let other men sleep with her.

Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body.

11 For that would be wicked, a sin deserving punishment,

For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges:

12 for this sin is like a fire that leads to destruction, destroying everything I have.

It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.

13 If I had refused to listen to my menservants or maidservants when they brought their complaints to me,

If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me;

14 what would I do when God came to judge me? How would I reply if he investigated me?

What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?

15 Didn't the same God make all of us?

Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies?

16 Have I refused to give the poor what they needed, or caused widows to despair?

If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose;

17 Have I even eaten just a piece of bread by myself? Haven't I always shared my food with orphans?

If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father;

18 From when I was young I was a father to orphans and took care of widows.

(For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother; )

19 If ever I saw someone needing clothes, the poor without anything to wear,

If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him;

20 they always thanked me for the wool clothing that kept them warm.

If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;

21 If I raised my hand to hit an orphan, confident that if it came to court the judges would be on my side,

If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges;

22 then let my shoulder be pulled from its joint, my arm wrenched out of its socket.

May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.

23 Since I'm terrified of what punishment God may have in store for me, and because of his majesty, I could never do this.

For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.

24 Have I put my trust in gold, calling fine gold, ‘My security’?

If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you;

25 Have I delighted in being rich, happy at all my wealth I had gained?

If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store;

26 Have I looked at the sun shining so brilliantly or the moon moving in majesty across the sky

If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,

27 and been tempted to secretly worship them by kissing my hand to them in devotion?

A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth;

28 This too would be a sin deserving punishment for it would mean I had denied God above.

That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high.

29 Have I ever been happy when disaster destroyed those who hated me, or celebrated when evil took them down?

If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him;

30 I have never allowed my mouth to sin by putting a curse on someone's life.

(For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life; )

31 Haven't my family asked, ‘Is there anyone who has not eaten as much as they wanted of his food?’

If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?

32 I have never let strangers sleep in the street; I have opened my doors to travelers.

The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey;

33 Have I concealed my sins from others, hiding my wrongdoing deep inside me?

If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast,

34 Was I afraid of what everybody else would think, scared of the contempt families would show me, so that I kept quiet and didn't go outside?

For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door;

35 Why won't anyone listen to what I'm saying! I'm signing my name to endorse everything I've said. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write down what he is charging me with.

If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing!

36 I would hold them up high; I would wear them on my head like a crown.

Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown;

37 I would explain to him everything I'd done; I would hold my head high before him.

I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended.

38 If my land has cried out against me; if her furrows have wept over me;

If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow;

39 if I have taken its crops without payment or if I have caused harm to the farmers;

If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners;

40 then let thorns grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.

Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants.