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, and I will not think upon a virgin.
2 For what portion should I haue of God from aboue? and what inheritance of the Almightie from on hie?
Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance [given] of the Mighty One from the highest?
3 Is not destruction to the wicked and strange punishment to the workers of iniquitie?
Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity.
4 Doeth not he beholde my wayes and tell all my steps?
Will he not see my way, and number all my steps?
5 If I haue walked in vanitie, or if my foote hath made haste to deceite,
But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit:
6 Let God weigh me in the iust balance, and he shall know mine vprightnes.
(for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence: )
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 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;
8 Let me sowe, and let another eate: yea, let my plantes be rooted out.
then let me sow, and let others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth.
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 has gone forth after another man's wife, and if I laid wait at her doors;
10 Let my wife grinde vnto another man, and let other men bow downe vpon her:
then let my wife also please another, and let my children be brought low.
11 For this is a wickednes, and iniquitie to bee condemned:
For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, [in the case] of defiling [another] man's wife.
12 Yea, this is a fire that shall deuoure to destruction, and which shall roote out al mine increase,
For it is a fire burning on every side, and whomsoever it attacks, it utterly destroys.
13 If I did contemne the iudgement of my seruant, and of my mayde, when they did contend with me,
And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or [my] handmaid, when they pleaded 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 if the Lord should try me? and if also he should at all visit me, can I make an answer?
15 He that hath made me in the wombe, hath he not made him? hath not he alone facioned vs in the wombe?
Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yea, we were formed in the same womb.
16 If I restrained the poore of their desire, or haue caused the eyes of the widow to faile,
But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail.
17 Or haue eaten my morsels alone, and the fatherles hath not eaten thereof,
And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart [of it] to the orphan;
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)
(for I nourished [them] as a father from my youth and guided [them] from my mother's womb.)
19 If I haue seene any perish for want of clothing, or any poore without couering,
And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him;
20 If his loynes haue not blessed me, because he was warmed with the fleece of my sheepe,
and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were [not] warmed with the fleece of my lambs;
21 If I haue lift vp mine hande against the fatherlesse, when I saw that I might helpe him in the gate,
if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior [to his]:
22 Let mine arme fal from my shoulder, and mine arme be broken from the bone.
let them my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow.
23 For Gods punishment was fearefull vnto me, and I could not be deliuered from his highnes.
For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I cannot bear up by reason of his burden.
24 If I made gold mine hope, or haue sayd to the wedge of golde, Thou art my confidence,
If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone;
25 If I reioyced because my substance was great, or because mine hand had gotten much,
and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable [treasures]:
26 If I did behold the sunne, when it shined, or the moone, walking in her brightnes,
(do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not [power to continue]: )
27 If mine heart did flatter me in secrete, or if my mouth did kisse mine hand,
and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it:
28 (This also had bene an iniquitie to be condemned: for I had denied the God aboue)
let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I [should] have lied against the Lord Most High.
29 If I reioyced at his destruction that hated me, or was mooued to ioye when euill came vpon him,
And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha!
30 Neither haue I suffred my mouth to sinne, by wishing a curse vnto his soule.
let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a byword among my people in my affliction.
31 Did not the men of my Tabernacle say, Who shall giue vs of his flesh? we can not bee satisfied.
And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind:
32 The stranger did not lodge in the streete, but I opened my doores vnto him, that went by the way.
for the stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came: )
33 If I haue hid my sinne, as Adam, concealing mine iniquitie in my bosome,
or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin;
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.
(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:
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 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,
36 Woulde not I take it vpon my shoulder, and binde it as a crowne vnto me?
I would place [it] as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it.
37 I will tell him the nomber of my goings, and goe vnto him as to a prince.
And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor:
38 If my lande cry against me, or the furrowes thereof complayne together,
If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together;
39 If I haue eaten the fruites thereof without siluer: or if I haue grieued the soules of the masters thereof,
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]:
40 Let thistles growe in steade of wheate, and cockle in the stead of Barley. The wordes of Iob are ended.
then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking.
