Job 31
1 I made a couenant with mine eyes: why then should I thinke on a mayde?
A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?
2 For what portion should I haue of God from aboue? and what inheritance of the Almightie from on hie?
Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is not destruction to the wicked and strange punishment to the workers of iniquitie?
Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?
4 Doeth not he beholde my wayes and tell all my steps?
Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?
5 If I haue walked in vanitie, or if my foote hath made haste to deceite,
Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —
6 Let God weigh me in the iust balance, and he shall know mine vprightnes.
Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of 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 goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,
8 Let me sowe, and let another eate: yea, let my plantes be rooted out.
Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!
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, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,
10 Let my wife grinde vnto another man, and let other men bow downe vpon her:
Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!
11 For this is a wickednes, and iniquitie to bee condemned:
Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!
12 Yea, this is a fire that shall deuoure to destruction, and which shall roote out al mine increase,
Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.
13 If I did contemne the iudgement of my seruant, and of my mayde, when they did contend with me,
If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, 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 could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered 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 who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?
16 If I restrained the poore of their desire, or haue caused the eyes of the widow to faile,
If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;
17 Or haue eaten my morsels alone, and the fatherles hath not eaten thereof,
Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat 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)
Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:
19 If I haue seene any perish for want of clothing, or any poore without couering,
If I saw one perishing for lack 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 did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;
21 If I haue lift vp mine hande against the fatherlesse, when I saw that I might helpe him in the gate,
If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,
22 Let mine arme fal from my shoulder, and mine arme be broken from the bone.
Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;
23 For Gods punishment was fearefull vnto me, and I could not be deliuered from his highnes.
For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.
24 If I made gold mine hope, or haue sayd to the wedge of golde, Thou art my confidence,
If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!
25 If I reioyced because my substance was great, or because mine hand had gotten much,
If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;
26 If I did behold the sunne, when it shined, or the moone, walking in her brightnes,
If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;
27 If mine heart did flatter me in secrete, or if my mouth did kisse mine hand,
And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,
28 (This also had bene an iniquitie to be condemned: for I had denied the God aboue)
That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.
29 If I reioyced at his destruction that hated me, or was mooued to ioye when euill came vpon him,
If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —
30 Neither haue I suffred my mouth to sinne, by wishing a curse vnto his soule.
Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:
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 household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,
32 The stranger did not lodge in the streete, but I opened my doores vnto him, that went by the way.
Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.
33 If I haue hid my sinne, as Adam, concealing mine iniquitie in my bosome,
If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,
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.
Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go 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! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!
36 Woulde not I take it vpon my shoulder, and binde it as a crowne vnto me?
Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;
37 I will tell him the nomber of my goings, and goe vnto him as to a prince.
The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.
38 If my lande cry against me, or the furrowes thereof complayne together,
If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;
39 If I haue eaten the fruites thereof without siluer: or if I haue grieued the soules of the masters thereof,
If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;
40 Let thistles growe in steade of wheate, and cockle in the stead of Barley. The wordes of Iob are ended.
Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.
