Job 31

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

I vowed to myself never to look with desire at young women.

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

What should people expect to receive from God? What reward should the Almighty on high give them?

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

Isn't it disaster for the wicked and destruction for those who do wrong?

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

Doesn't God see everything I do—even count every step I take?

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

Have I lived a deceitful life? Have I been eager to tell lies?

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

No! Let God weigh me on the scales of his justice and let him discover my integrity.

7 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:

If I have wandered from God's way, if I have let what I see become my desires, if there's any stain of sin on my hands,

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

then let someone else eat what I have sown, and all that I have grown be uprooted.

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

If a woman has seduced me, or if I have looked for an opportunity to sleep with my neighbor's wife,

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

then let my wife serve another, let other men sleep with her.

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

For that would be wicked, a sin deserving punishment,

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

for this sin is like a fire that leads to destruction, destroying everything I have.

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

If I had refused to listen to my menservants or maidservants when they brought their complaints to me,

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

what would I do when God came to judge me? How would I reply if he investigated me?

15 Did not he that made me make him born or a woman? and did not the same one fashion us in the womb?

Didn't the same God make all of us?

16 If ever I denied the wish of the indigent, or ever allowed the eyes of the widow to fall [in vain hopes];

Have I refused to give the poor what they needed, or caused widows to despair?

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

Have I even eaten just a piece of bread by myself? Haven't I always shared my food with orphans?

18 (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; )

From when I was young I was a father to orphans and took care of widows.

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

If ever I saw someone needing clothes, the poor without anything to wear,

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

they always thanked me for the wool clothing that kept them warm.

21 If I have swung my hand against the fatherless, because I saw in the gate those that would help me:

If I raised my hand to hit an orphan, confident that if it came to court the judges would be on my side,

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

then let my shoulder be pulled from its joint, my arm wrenched out of its socket.

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

Since I'm terrified of what punishment God may have in store for me, and because of his majesty, I could never do this.

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

Have I put my trust in gold, calling fine gold, ‘My security’?

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

Have I delighted in being rich, happy at all my wealth I had gained?

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

Have I looked at the sun shining so brilliantly or the moon moving in majesty across the sky

27 And my heart became misled in secret, and my hand kissed my mouth:

and been tempted to secretly worship them by kissing my hand to them in devotion?

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

This too would be a sin deserving punishment for it would mean I had denied God above.

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

Have I ever been happy when disaster destroyed those who hated me, or celebrated when evil took them down?

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

I have never allowed my mouth to sin by putting a curse on someone's life.

31 If the men of my tent said not, Oh is there one that is not satisfied of his flesh; —

Haven't my family asked, ‘Is there anyone who has not eaten as much as they wanted of his food?’

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

I have never let strangers sleep in the street; I have opened my doors to travelers.

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

Have I concealed my sins from others, hiding my wrongdoing deep inside me?

34 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; —

Was I afraid of what everybody else would think, scared of the contempt families would show me, so that I kept quiet and didn't go outside?

35 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, —

Why won't anyone listen to what I'm saying! I'm signing my name to endorse everything I've said. Let the Almighty answer me. Let my accuser write down what he is charging me with.

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

I would hold them up high; I would wear them on my head like a crown.

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

I would explain to him everything I'd done; I would hold my head high before him.

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

If my land has cried out against me; if her furrows have wept over me;

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

if I have taken its crops without payment or if I have caused harm to the farmers;

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

then let thorns grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.