Job 31

1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

A covenant had I made with my eyes: how then should I fix my look on a virgin?

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

And what then would have been my portion of God from above? and what lot of the Almighty from on high?

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

Is not calamity [ready] for the unjust? and misfortune for the wrong-doers?

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

Behold, he truly seeth my ways, and numbereth all my steps;

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

[And knoweth] whether I have walked with vain desires, or if my foot hath hastened after deceit.

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

Let him weigh me then in a righteous balance, and let God acknowledge my integrity,

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

If my step have turned aside from the [proper] way, and my heart have walked after my eyes, and if any blemish have cleaved to my hands:

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

Then let me sow, and let another eat; and let what I have growing be rooted out.

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

If my heart have been beguiled toward a woman, or if I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door:

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

Then may my wife labor at the mill for another, and may strangers ill-use her;

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

For this would be incest; yea, it would be an iniquity [to be punished by] the judges;

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

For it would be a fire that consumeth down to the place of corruption, and would root out all my products.

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

If ever I cast aside the justice due to my man-servant and my maid-servant, when they contended with me:

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

What then could I do when God should rise up? and when he should investigate, what could I answer him?

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

Did not he that made me make him born or a woman? and did not the same one fashion 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 ever I denied the wish of the indigent, or ever allowed the eyes of the widow to fall [in vain hopes];

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

Or if ever I ate my bread by myself alone, and the fatherless did not eat thereof;

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; )

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as though we were of one father, and I have guided her [as though she was sprung] from my mother's womb; )

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

If ever I saw any one perishing for want of clothing, or the needy without covering:

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

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he have not been warmed 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 swung my hand against the fatherless, because I saw in the gate those that would help me:

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

Then may my shoulder fall from my shoulder-blade, and my arm be broken from the channel-bone;

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

For dreaded by me was the calamitous punishment of God, and against his highness I can accomplish nothing.

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

If I have made gold my confidence, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my trust:

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

If ever I rejoiced because my wealth was abundant, and because my hand had gotten much;

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

If ever I looked at the light [of the sun] when he shone brightly and on the moon walking in splendor:

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

And my heart became misled in secret, and my hand kissed 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 also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge; for thus would I have denied the God that is above.

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

If ever I rejoiced at the downfall of him that hated me, or was elated when evil befell him; —

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

But I suffered not my mouth to sin by denouncing with a curse his soul: —

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 tent said not, Oh is there one that is not satisfied of his flesh; —

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

In the street a stranger had not to lodge; my doors I held open to the roadside;

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

If I covered up my transgressions like a common man, by hiding in my bosom my iniquity;

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 dreaded the great multitude, or because the contempt of families did terrify me, so that I kept silence, and dared not to go out of the door; —

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

Oh who will bring me one that would hear me! behold, here is my plea; may the Almighty answer me; and any record which my opponent may have written, —

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

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

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

The number of my steps would I tell him: as [to] a prince would I go near unto him.—

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

If my land ever cried out because of me, or if its furrows wept together;

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

If I ever consumed its strength without payment, or caused the soul of its owners to grieve:

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

Then may instead of wheat, thorns come forth, and instead of barley, cockle. (Here end the words of Job.)