Job 31

1 I made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think on a maid?

“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?

2 For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high?

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

Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?

4 Does not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

Does He not see my ways and count my every step?

5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot has hurried to deceit;

If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,

6 Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know my integrity.

let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.

7 If my step has turned out of the way, and my heart walked after my eyes, and if any blot has stuck to my hands;

If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if impurity has stuck to my hands,

8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; yes, let my offspring be rooted out.

then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.

9 If my heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door;

If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,

10 Then let my wife grind to another, and let others bow down on her.

then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her.

11 For this is an heinous crime; yes, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.

12 For it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.

For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.

13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,

14 What then shall I do when God rises up? and when he visits, what shall I answer him?

what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?

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

Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?

16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,

17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless has not eaten thereof;

if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—

18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb; )

though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—

19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,

20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,

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

if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate,

22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.

then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.

23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.

24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, You are my confidence;

If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,

25 If I rejoice because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,

26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,

27 And my heart has been secretly enticed, or my mouth has kissed my hand:

so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,

28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.

29 If I rejoice at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—

30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—

31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—

32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the travelers.

but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—

33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom:

if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,

34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—

35 Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that my adversary had written a book.

(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.

36 Surely I would take it on my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.

37 I would declare to him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near to him.

I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—

38 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together,

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

if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,

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

then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.