Job 31
1 “I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].
“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
2 [If I did not do what I promised, ] what would God who is in heaven [MTY] do to me [RHQ]? Almighty [God] would certainly not [RHQ] give me any reward!
For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 [Previously I thought that] surely [RHQ] it was unrighteous people who would experience calamities, and that it was those who do what is wrong who would experience disasters.
Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?
4 God certainly sees [RHQ] everything that I do, [so why is he causing me to suffer?] [It is as though] he counts every step that I take.
Does He not see my ways and count my every step?
5 [“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
6 I request only that God judge me fairly [MET], and if he does that, he will know that I (am innocent/have not done what is wrong).
let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.
7 If [it were true that] I have stopped living righteously, or [that] I [SYN] have desired the things that I look at [MTY], or [that] I am guilty of any other sin,
If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if impurity has stuck to my hands,
8 then I hope/wish that when I plant [seeds], someone else will [harvest the crops and] eat [them] and that others will uproot the [fruit trees] that I planted.
then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
9 “If [it were true that] I [SYN] have been attracted by some other man’s wife, or [that] I have hidden myself and waited outside [the] door [to] her [house],
If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,
10 I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her.
11 [For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.
12 My [committing adultery] would [produce in me a fire like] [MET] the fire that burns people in hell, and it would burn up everything that I own. (questioned)
For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.
13 “And, if [it were true that] I have ever refused to listen to one of my male or female servants when they complained to me about something,
If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
14 God would arise [and declare that he would punish me]; and when he would do that, what would I do? If he would ask me [about what I have done], (what would I answer?/I would not be able to answer.) [RHQ]
what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?
15 God, who created me, certainly also created my servants [RHQ]; surely he is the one who formed them and me in our mothers’ wombs [RHQ]; [so we all should behave toward each other equally].
Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?
16 “I have guided orphans from the time that they were born; I have taken care of them since they were young. So, if [it were true that] I ate all my food myself and did not share some of it with orphans, or [that] I refused to give poor people the things that they wanted, or [that] I caused widows to live (in despair/without hope [that they would receive any help from anyone]),
If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—
though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—
19 or [that] I had seen people die [from cold] because they had no clothes, or [that] I had seen poor people who did not have clothes [to keep them warm],
if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,
20 and they were not able to become warm [from clothes made] from the wool of my sheep with the result that they thanked me for [giving them clothes, ]
if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
21 or if [it were true that] I threatened to strike any orphan because I knew that the elders at the city gates would (decide in my favor);
if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate,
22 [if those things were true about me], I hope/desire that my shoulder blade would be torn out and my arm be torn from my shoulder.
then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.
23 I always feared that God would cause me to experience a great disaster [if I did any of those evil things], and I would not have been able to endure the powerful [things that he would do to punish me].
For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.
24 “If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
25 or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,
26 or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon
if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
27 and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 those things also would be sins for which the judges would say that I must be punished, because I would have been rejecting God [by doing those things].
this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.
29 “[It is not true that] I [SYN] sinned by requesting God to curse people who hated me with the result that God would cause them to die. It is also not true that I was glad when they were ruined or that I rejoiced when they experienced disasters [DOU].
If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—
31 [It is also not true that] I never welcomed travelers to stay in my tent or that I did not open my doors to them, but [forced them to] sleep in the streets. [All] the men who work for me certainly know that [RHQ]!
if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—
33 Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
34 and I never remained silent and refused to go outside of my home because I was very (afraid of/worried about) what people would say [about me], and that they would hate/scorn me.
because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—
35 “I wish/desire that there was someone who would hear what I am saying! I solemnly declare [that all that I have said is true]. I wish that those who oppose me would write down [on a scroll] the evil things that they say that I did.
(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.
36 [If they did that, ] I would wear that scroll on my shoulder, or wear it on top of my head, [in order that everyone could see it].
Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.
37 I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—
38 If [it were true that] I have stolen land, with the result that [it was as though] its furrows cried out to accuse me of stealing;
if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together,
39 or [if it were true that] I have eaten the crops that grew in someone else’s fields without paying [for those crops], with the result that those farmers who grew those crops died [from hunger];
if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
40 then I wish/desire that thorns would grow [in my fields] instead of wheat. May bad weeds grow instead of barley!” That is the end of what Job said [to his three friends].
then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
