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 made a covenant with mine eyes; How then could I gaze upon a maid?
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 portion appointed by God from above, And the inheritance allotted by the Almighty from 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.
Is not destruction for the wicked, And ruin for 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.
Doth He not see my ways, And number all my steps?
5 [“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.
If I have walked with falsehood, And if my foot hath hasted 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 him weigh me in an even balance; Yea, let God 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 aside from the way, And my heart gone after mine eyes, Or if any stain hath cleaved to my hand,
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 I may sow, and another eat; And what I plant, may it be rooted up!
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 hath been enticed by a woman, Or if I have watched at my neighbor's door,
10 I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.
Then let my wife grind for another, And let other men lie with her!
11 [For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.
For this were a heinous crime, Even a transgression to be punished by the judges;
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)
Yea, it were a fire that would consume to destruction, And root out all my increase.
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 refused justice to my man-servant or maid-servant, When they had a controversy with 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]
Then what shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
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 that made me in the womb make him? Did not one fashion 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 refused the poor their desire, And caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
If I have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not partaken of it;
(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And I have helped the widow from my mother's womb; )
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 any one perishing for want of clothing, Or any poor man without covering;
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 loins have not blessed me, And he hath not been warmed 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 shaken my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help 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 shoulder fill from its blade, And my fore-arm be broken from its bone!
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 destruction from God was a terror to me, And before his majesty I could do nothing.
24 “If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],
If I have made gold my trust, Or said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
25 or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,
If I have rejoiced, because my wealth was great, And my hand had found abundance;
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 his splendor, Or the moon advancing in brightness,
27 and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,
And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath kissed my hand,
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 also were a crime to be punished by the judge; For I should have denied the God who is above.
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 at the destruction of him that hated me, And exulted when evil came upon him;
(Nay, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, By asking with curses his life; )
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 tent have not exclaimed, “Who is there that hath not been satisfied with his meat?”
The stranger did not lodge in the street; I opened my doors to the traveller.
33 Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;
Have I, after the manner of men, hidden my transgression, Concealing my iniquity in my bosom,
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.
Then let me be confounded before the great multitude! Let the contempt of families cover me with shame! Yea, let me keep silence! let me never appear abroad!
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.
O that there were one who would hear me! Behold my signature! let the Almighty answer me. And let mine adversary write down his charge!
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].
Truly I would wear it upon my shoulder; I would bind it upon me as a crown.
37 I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.
I would disclose to him 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 cry out against me, And its furrows bewail 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 eaten of its fruits without payment, And wrung out the life of its owners,
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].
Let thorns grow up instead of wheat, And noxious weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
