Job 31
1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look with desire on a virgin?
“I made a covenant for my eyes, And how do I attend to a virgin?
2 For what is the portion from God above, the inheritance from the Almighty on high?
And what [is] the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?
3 I used to think that calamity is for unrighteous people, and that disaster is for doers of wickedness.
Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?
4 Does not God see my ways and count all my steps?
Does He not see my ways, And number all my steps?
5 If I have walked with falsehood, if my foot has hurried to deceit,
If I have walked with vanity, And my foot hurries to deceit,
6 let me be weighed in an even balance so that God will know my integrity.
He weighs me in righteous balances, And God knows 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 my step turns aside from the way, And my heart has gone after my eyes, And blemish has cleaved to my hands,
8 then let me sow, and let another eat, and let my crops be uprooted.
Let me sow—and another eat, And let my products be rooted out.
9 If my heart has been deceived by a woman, if I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
If my heart has been enticed by a woman, And I laid wait by the opening of my neighbor,
10 then let my wife grind grain for another, and let others bow down on her.
Let my wife grind to another, And let others bend over her.
11 For that would be a terrible crime; indeed, it would be a crime to be punished by judges.
For it [is] a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;
12 For that is a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn all my harvest to the root.
For it [is] a fire, it consumes to destruction, And takes root among all my increase,
13 If I ignored the plea for justice from my male or female servant when they argued with me,
If I despise the cause of my manservant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with 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?
Then what do I do when God arises? And when He inspects, What do I answer Him?
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?
Did He that made me in the womb not make him? Indeed, One prepares us in the womb.
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,
If I withhold the poor from pleasure, And consume the eyes of the widow,
17 or if I have eaten my morsel alone and not allowed those without fathers to eat it also—
And I eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan has nothing [to] eat of it,
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.
(But from my youth He grew up with me as [with] a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led),
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or if I have seen that a needy man had no clothing;
If I see [any] perishing without clothing, And there is no covering for the needy,
20 if his heart has not blessed me because he has not been warmed with the wool of my sheep,
If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He does not warm himself,
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 have waved my hand at the fatherless, When I see [him] in the gate of my court,
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.
Let my shoulder fall from its blade, And the bone from my arm be broken.
23 For I dreaded destruction from God; because of his majesty, I was not able to do those things.
For calamity [from] God [is] a dread to me, And because of His excellence I am not able.
24 If I have made gold my hope, and if I have said to fine gold, 'You are what I am confident in';
If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, My trust;
25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, because my hand had gotten many possessions, then bring charges against me!
If I rejoice because my wealth [is] great, And because my hand has found abundance,
26 If I have seen the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in its brightness,
If I see the light when it shines, And the precious moon walking,
27 and if my heart has been secretly attracted, so that my mouth has kissed my hand in worship of them—
And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand kisses my mouth,
28 this also would be a crime to be punished by judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
It also [is] a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to 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!
If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,
30 Indeed, I have not even allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse.
Indeed, I have not permitted my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.
31 If the men of my tent have never said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with Job's food?'
If not, say, O men of my tent: O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.
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!
A stranger does not lodge in the street, I open my doors to the traveler.
33 If, like mankind, I have hidden my sins by hiding my guilt inside my tunic
If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, To hide my iniquity in my bosom,
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!
Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families frightens me, Then I am silent, I do not go out of the opening.
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!
Who gives to me a hearing? Behold, my mark. The Mighty One answers me, And my adversary has written a bill.
36 Surely I would carry it openly on my shoulder; I would put it on like a crown.
If not—on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it [as] a crown on myself.
37 I would declare to him an accounting for my steps; as a confident prince I would go up to him.
The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.
38 If my land ever cries out against me, and its furrows weep together,
If my land cries out against me, And together its furrows weep,
39 if I have eaten its harvest without paying for it or have caused its owners to lose their lives,
If I consumed its strength without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,
40 then let thorns grow instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are finished.
Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed!” The words of Job are finished.
