Job 31

1 I made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?

2 For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven?

3 Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers?

4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered?

5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit;

6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity.

(Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness: )

7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and my heart walked after my eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to my hands;

If my steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands;

8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted.

9 If my heart hath been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;

If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door;

10 Then let my wife grind to another, and let others bow down upon her.

Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body.

11 For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges:

12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all my increase.

It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.

13 If I despised the cause of my male or female servant, when they contended with me;

If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me;

14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?

15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies?

16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose;

17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten of it;

If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father;

18 (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb; )

(For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother; )

19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him;

20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;

21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges;

22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.

May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.

23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.

24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you;

25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gained much;

If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store;

26 If I have beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,

27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth;

28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high.

29 If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or have lifted up myself when evil found him:

If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him;

30 Neither have I allowed my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

(For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life; )

31 If the men of my tent have not said, O that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?

32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.

The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey;

33 If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom:

If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast,

34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door;

35 O that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that my adversary had written a book.

If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing!

36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown;

37 I would declare to him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near to him.

I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended.

38 If my land crieth against me, or its furrows likewise complain;

If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow;

39 If I have eaten the fruits of it without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life:

If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners;

40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants.