Job 31

1 “I made a covenant for my eyes, And how do I attend to a virgin?

A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what — do I attend to a virgin?

2 And what [is] the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?

And what [is] the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?

3 Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?

Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?

4 Does He not see my ways, And number all my steps?

Doth not He see my ways, And all my steps number?

5 If I have walked with vanity, And my foot hurries to deceit,

If I have walked with vanity, And my foot doth hasten to deceit,

6 He weighs me in righteous balances, And God knows my integrity.

He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my integrity.

7 If my step turns aside from the way, And my heart has gone after my eyes, And blemish has cleaved to my hands,

If my step doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish,

8 Let me sow—and another eat, And let my products be rooted out.

Let me sow — and another eat, And my products let be rooted out.

9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman, And I laid wait by the opening of my neighbor,

If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait,

10 Let my wife grind to another, And let others bend over her.

Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend.

11 For it [is] a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;

For it [is] a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;

12 For it [is] a fire, it consumes to destruction, And takes root among all my increase,

For a fire it [is], to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root,

13 If I despise the cause of my manservant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,

If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,

14 Then what do I do when God arises? And when He inspects, What do I answer Him?

Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do I answer Him?

15 Did He that made me in the womb not make him? Indeed, One prepares us in the womb.

Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.

16 If I withhold the poor from pleasure, And consume the eyes of the widow,

If I withhold from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume,

17 And I eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan has nothing [to] eat of it,

And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it,

18 (But from my youth He grew up with me as [with] a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led),

(But from my youth He grew up with me as [with] a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.)

19 If I see [any] perishing without clothing, And there is no covering for the needy,

If I see [any] perishing without clothing, And there is no covering to the needy,

20 If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He does not warm himself,

If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,

21 If I have waved my hand at the fatherless, When I see [him] in the gate of my court,

If I have waved at the fatherless my hand, When I see in [him] the gate of my court,

22 Let my shoulder fall from its blade, And the bone from my arm be broken.

My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken.

23 For calamity [from] God [is] a dread to me, And because of His excellence I am not able.

For a dread unto me [is] calamity [from] God, And because of His excellency I am not able.

24 If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, My trust;

If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, 'My trust,'

25 If I rejoice because my wealth [is] great, And because my hand has found abundance,

If I rejoice because great [is] my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found,

26 If I see the light when it shines, And the precious moon walking,

If I see the light when it shineth, And the precious moon walking,

27 And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand kisses my mouth,

And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth,

28 It also [is] a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.

It also [is] a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.

29 If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,

If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,

30 Indeed, I have not permitted my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.

Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.

31 If not, say, O men of my tent: O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.

If not — say ye, O men of my tent, 'O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'

32 A stranger does not lodge in the street, I open my doors to the traveler.

In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.

33 If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, To hide my iniquity in my bosom,

If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity,

34 Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families frightens me, Then I am silent, I do not go out of the opening.

Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.

35 Who gives to me a hearing? Behold, my mark. The Mighty One answers me, And my adversary has written a bill.

Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written.

36 If not—on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it [as] a crown on myself.

If not — on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it a crown on myself.

37 The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.

The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.

38 If my land cries out against me, And together its furrows weep,

If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep,

39 If I consumed its strength without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,

If its strength I consumed without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,

40 Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed!” The words of Job are finished.

Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.