Job 31

1 A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?

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

2 Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance 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 there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?

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

4 Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?

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

5 Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —

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

6 Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine integrity!

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

7 If my goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,

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 Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!

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

9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,

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

10 Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!

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

11 Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!

For that would be wicked, a sin deserving punishment,

12 Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.

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

13 If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, 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 have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?

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

15 Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?

Didn't the same God make all of us?

16 If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;

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

17 Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that 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 Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:

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

19 If I saw one perishing for lack 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 loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;

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

21 If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,

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

22 Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;

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

23 For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.

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 made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!

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

25 If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;

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

26 If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;

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

27 And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed my mouth,

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

28 That too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false to GOD, above.

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

29 If rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —

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

30 Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:

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

31 If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,

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

32 Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.

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

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

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

34 Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall 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, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had 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 Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;

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

37 The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.

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

38 If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;

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

39 If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;

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

40 Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.

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