Job 31

1 I made a covenant with mine eyes, and I will not think upon a virgin.

“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

2 Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance [given] of the Mighty One from the highest?

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

3 Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity.

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

4 Will he not see my way, and number all my steps?

Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?

5 But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit:

“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit

6 (for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence: )

(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);

7 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;

if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

8 then let me sow, and let others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth.

then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

9 If my heart has gone forth after another man's wife, and if I laid wait at her doors;

“If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door,

10 then let my wife also please another, and let my children be brought low.

then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.

11 For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, [in the case] of defiling [another] man's wife.

For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,

12 For it is a fire burning on every side, and whoever it attacks, it utterly destroys.

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

13 And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or [my] handmaid, when they pleaded with me;

“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,

14 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?

what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?

15 Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yes, we were formed in the same womb.

Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?

16 But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail.

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

17 And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart [of it] to the orphan;

or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it

18 (for I nourished [them] as a father from my youth and guided [them] from my mother's womb.)

(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);

19 And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him;

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

20 and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were [not] warmed with the fleece of my lambs;

if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;

21 if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior [to his]:

if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;

22 let them my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow.

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

23 For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I can’t bear up by reason of his burden.

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

24 If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone;

“If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’

25 and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable [treasures]:

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

26 (do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not [power to continue]: )

if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendour,

27 and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it:

and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;

28 let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I [should] have lied against the Lord Most High.

this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.

29 And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha!

“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him

30 let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a byword among my people in my affliction.

(I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);

31 And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind:

if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’

32 for the stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came: )

(the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveller);

33 or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin;

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

34 (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:

because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—

35 (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,

oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!

36 I would place [it] as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it.

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

37 And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor:

I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.

38 If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together;

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

39 and if I ate its strength alone without price, and if I too grieved the heart of the owner of the soil, by taking [anything] from [him]:

if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,

40 then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking.

let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.