Job 31
1 "I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
I vowed to myself never to look with desire at young women.
2 For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from Shaddai on high?
What should people expect to receive from God? What reward should the Almighty on high give them?
3 Is it not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for evildoers?
Isn't it disaster for the wicked and destruction for those who do wrong?
4 Doesn't he see my ways, and number all my steps?
Doesn't God see everything I do—even count every step I take?
5 "If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
Have I lived a deceitful life? Have I been eager to tell lies?
6 (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
No! Let God weigh me on the scales of his justice and let him discover my integrity.
7 if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck 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. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
then let someone else eat what I have sown, and all that I have grown be uprooted.
9 "If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and 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 let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
then let my wife serve another, let other men sleep with her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
For that would be wicked, a sin deserving punishment,
12 For it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
for this sin is like a fire that leads to destruction, destroying everything I have.
13 "If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female 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 shall I do when God rises up? When he visits, what shall 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 who made me in the womb make him? Did not the same one fashion us in the womb?
Didn't the same God make all of us?
16 "If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
Have I refused to give the poor what they needed, or caused widows to despair?
17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
Have I even eaten just a piece of bread by myself? Haven't I always shared my food with orphans?
18 (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, her have I guided from my mother's womb);
From when I was young I was a father to orphans and took care of widows.
19 if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
If ever I saw someone needing clothes, the poor without anything to wear,
20 if his heart hasn't blessed me, if he hasn't been warmed with my sheep's fleece;
they always thanked me for the wool clothing that kept them warm.
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,
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 let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
then let my shoulder be pulled from its joint, my arm wrenched out of its socket.
23 For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because his majesty, I can do 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 hope, and have said to the fine gold, 'You are my confidence;'
Have I put my trust in gold, calling fine gold, ‘My security’?
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
Have I delighted in being rich, happy at all my wealth I had gained?
26 if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,
Have I looked at the sun shining so brilliantly or the moon moving in majesty across the sky
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
and been tempted to secretly worship them by kissing my hand to them in devotion?
28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for I should have denied the God who is above.
This too would be a sin deserving punishment for it would mean I had denied God above.
29 "If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him;
Have I ever been happy when disaster destroyed those who hated me, or celebrated when evil took them down?
30 (yes, I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
I have never allowed my mouth to sin by putting a curse on someone's life.
31 if the men of my tent have not said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?'
Haven't my family asked, ‘Is there anyone who has not eaten as much as they wanted of his food?’
32 (the foreigner has not lodged in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
I have never let strangers sleep in the street; I have opened my doors to travelers.
33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
Have I concealed my sins from others, hiding my wrongdoing deep inside me?
34 because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and did not 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 that I had one to hear me. (look, here is my signature, let Shaddai answer me); let the accuser write my indictment.
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 I would carry it on my shoulder; and I would bind it to me as a crown.
I would hold them up high; I would wear them on my head 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 explain to him everything I'd done; I would hold my head high before him.
38 If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
If my land has cried out against me; if her furrows have wept over me;
39 if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
if I have taken its crops without payment or if I have caused harm to the farmers;
40 let briars grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.
then let thorns grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
