Job 31

1 I made a couenant with mine eyes: why then should I thinke on a mayde?

I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin?

2 For what portion should I haue of God from aboue? and what inheritance of the Almightie from on hie?

For what is the portion from God above, And the heritage from the Almighty on high?

3 Is not destruction to the wicked and strange punishment to the workers of iniquitie?

Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity?

4 Doeth not he beholde my wayes and tell all my steps?

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

5 If I haue walked in vanitie, or if my foote hath made haste to deceite,

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

6 Let God weigh me in the iust balance, and he shall know mine vprightnes.

(Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity);

7 If my steppe hath turned out of the way, or mine heart hath walked after mine eye, or if any blot hath cleaued to mine handes,

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 Let me sowe, and let another eate: yea, let my plantes be rooted out.

Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

9 If mine heart hath bene deceiued by a woman, or if I haue layde wayte at the doore of my neighbour,

If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door;

10 Let my wife grinde vnto another man, and let other men bow downe vpon her:

Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her.

11 For this is a wickednes, and iniquitie to bee condemned:

For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:

12 Yea, this is a fire that shall deuoure to destruction, and which shall roote out al mine increase,

For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase.

13 If I did contemne the iudgement of my seruant, and of my mayde, when they did contend with me,

If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me;

14 What then shall I do when God standeth vp? and when he shall visit me, what shall I answere?

What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

15 He that hath made me in the wombe, hath he not made him? hath not he alone facioned vs in the wombe?

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

16 If I restrained the poore of their desire, or haue caused the eyes of the widow to faile,

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

17 Or haue eaten my morsels alone, and the fatherles hath not eaten thereof,

Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof

18 (For from my youth hee hath growen vp with me as with a father, and from my mothers wombe I haue bene a guide vnto her)

(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And her have I guided from my mother’s womb);

19 If I haue seene any perish for want of clothing, or any poore without couering,

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering;

20 If his loynes haue not blessed me, because he was warmed with the fleece of my sheepe,

If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21 If I haue lift vp mine hande against the fatherlesse, when I saw that I might helpe him in the gate,

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

22 Let mine arme fal from my shoulder, and mine arme be broken from the bone.

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

23 For Gods punishment was fearefull vnto me, and I could not be deliuered from his highnes.

For calamity from God is a terror to me, And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.

24 If I made gold mine hope, or haue sayd to the wedge of golde, Thou art my confidence,

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

25 If I reioyced because my substance was great, or because mine hand had gotten much,

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

26 If I did behold the sunne, when it shined, or the moone, walking in her brightnes,

If I have beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness,

27 If mine heart did flatter me in secrete, or if my mouth did kisse mine hand,

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

28 (This also had bene an iniquitie to be condemned: for I had denied the God aboue)

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have denied the God that is above.

29 If I reioyced at his destruction that hated me, or was mooued to ioye when euill came vpon him,

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

30 Neither haue I suffred my mouth to sinne, by wishing a curse vnto his soule.

(Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);

31 Did not the men of my Tabernacle say, Who shall giue vs of his flesh? we can not bee satisfied.

If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?

32 The stranger did not lodge in the streete, but I opened my doores vnto him, that went by the way.

(The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the traveller);

33 If I haue hid my sinne, as Adam, concealing mine iniquitie in my bosome,

If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,

34 Though I could haue made afraid a great multitude, yet the most contemptible of the families did feare me: so I kept silence, and went not out of the doore.

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 some to heare me! beholde my signe that the Almightie will witnesse for me: though mine aduersary should write a booke against me,

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 Woulde not I take it vpon my shoulder, and binde it as a crowne vnto me?

Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown:

37 I will tell him the nomber of my goings, and goe vnto him as to a prince.

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

38 If my lande cry against me, or the furrowes thereof complayne together,

If my land crieth out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together;

39 If I haue eaten the fruites thereof without siluer: or if I haue grieued the soules of the masters thereof,

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

40 Let thistles growe in steade of wheate, and cockle in the stead of Barley. The wordes of Iob are ended.

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