Job 31

1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look with desire on a virgin?

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

2 For what is the portion from God above, the inheritance from the Almighty on high?

What should people expect to receive from God? What reward should the Almighty on high give them?

3 I used to think that calamity is for unrighteous people, and that disaster is for doers of wickedness.

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

4 Does not God see my ways and count all my steps?

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

5 If I have walked with falsehood, if 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 so that God will 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 aside from the way, if my heart has gone after my eyes, if any spot 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, and let my crops be uprooted.

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

9 If my heart has been deceived by a woman, if 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 grain for another, and let others bow down on her.

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

11 For that would be a terrible crime; indeed, it would be a crime to be punished by judges.

For that would be wicked, a sin deserving punishment,

12 For that is a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn all my harvest to the root.

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

13 If I ignored the plea for justice from my male or female servant when they argued with me,

If I had refused to listen to my menservants or maidservants when they brought their complaints to me,

14 what then would I do when God rises up to accuse me? When he comes to judge me, how would I answer him?

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

15 Did the one who made me in the womb not make them also? Did not the same one mold us all in the womb?

Didn't the same God make all of us?

16 If I have withheld poor people from their desire, or if I have caused the eyes of the widow to grow dim from crying,

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

17 or if I have eaten my morsel alone and not allowed those without fathers to eat it also—

Have I even eaten just a piece of bread by myself? Haven't I always shared my food with orphans?

18 because from my youth the orphan grew up with me as with a father, and I have guided his mother, a widow, from my own mother's womb.

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

19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or if I have seen that a needy man had no clothing;

If ever I saw someone needing clothes, the poor without anything to wear,

20 if his heart has not blessed me because he has not been warmed with the wool of my sheep,

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

21 if I have lifted up my hand against fatherless people because I saw my support in the city gate, then bring charges against me!

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

22 If I have done these things, then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and let my arm be broken from its joint.

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

23 For I dreaded destruction from God; because of his majesty, I was not able to do those things.

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 if I have said to fine gold, 'You are what I am confident in';

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

25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, because my hand had gotten many possessions, then bring charges against me!

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

26 If I have seen the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in its brightness,

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

27 and if my heart has been secretly attracted, so that my mouth has kissed my hand in worship of them—

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

28 this also would be a crime to be punished by judges, for I would 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 anyone who hated me or congratulated myself when disaster overtook him, then bring charges against me!

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

30 Indeed, I have not even allowed my mouth to sin by asking for 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 never said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with Job's food?'

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

32 (even the foreigner has never had to stay in the city square, because I have always opened my doors to the traveler), and if that is not so, then bring charges against me!

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

33 If, like mankind, I have hidden my sins by hiding my guilt inside my tunic

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

34 (because I feared the great multitude, because the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside), then bring charges against me!

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, if only I had someone to hear me! See, here is my signature; let the Almighty answer me! If only I had the indictment that my opponent has 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 Surely I would carry it openly on my shoulder; I would put it on like a crown.

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

37 I would declare to him an accounting for my steps; as a confident prince I would go up to him.

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

38 If my land ever 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 harvest without paying for it or have caused its owners to lose their lives,

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

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

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