Job 31

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

I made a covenant with mine eyes, and I will not think upon a virgin.

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

Now what portion has God given from above? and is there an inheritance [given] of the Mighty One from the highest?

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

Alas! destruction to the unrighteous, and rejection to them that do iniquity.

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

Will he not see my way, and number all my steps?

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

But if I had gone with scorners, and if too my foot has hasted to deceit:

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

(for I am weighed in a just balance, and the Lord knows my innocence: )

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 foot has turned aside out of the way, or if mine heart has followed mine eye, and if too I have touched gifts with my hands;

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

then let me sow, and let others eat; and let me be uprooted on the earth.

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

If my heart has gone forth after another man's wife, and if I laid wait at her doors;

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

then let my wife also please another, and let my children be brought low.

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

For the rage of anger is not to be controlled, [in the case] of defiling [another] man's wife.

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

For it is a fire burning on every side, and whoever it attacks, it utterly destroys.

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

And if too I despised the judgment of my servant or [my] handmaid, when they pleaded with me;

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

what then shall I do if the Lord should try me? and if also he should at all visit me, can I make an answer?

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

Were not they too formed as I also was formed in the womb? yes, we were formed in the same womb.

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

But the helpless missed not whatever need they had, and I did not cause the eye of the widow to fail.

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

And if too I ate my morsel alone, and did not impart [of it] to the orphan;

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 nourished [them] as a father from my youth and guided [them] from my mother's womb.)

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

And if too I overlooked the naked as he was perishing, and did not clothe him;

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

and if the poor did not bless me, and their shoulders were [not] warmed with the fleece of my lambs;

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

if I lifted my hand against an orphan, trusting that my strength was far superior [to his]:

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

let them my shoulder start from the blade-bone, and my arm be crushed off from the elbow.

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

For the fear of the Lord constrained me, and I can’t bear up by reason of his burden.

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

If I made gold my treasure, and if too I trusted the precious stone;

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

and if too I rejoiced when my wealth was abundant, and if too I laid my hand on innumerable [treasures]:

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

(do we not see the shining sun eclipsed, and the moon waning? for they have not [power to continue]: )

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

and if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I have laid my hand upon my mouth and kissed it:

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

let this also then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity: for I [should] have lied against the Lord Most High.

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

And if too I was glad at the fall of mine enemies, and mine heart said, Aha!

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

let then mine ear hear my curse, and let me be a byword among my people in my affliction.

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

And if too my handmaids have often said, Oh that we might be satisfied with his flesh; (whereas I was very kind:

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

for the stranger did not lodge without, and my door was opened to every one that came: )

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

or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin;

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 I did not stand in awe of a great multitude, so as not to declare boldly before them: ) and if too I permitted a poor man to go out of my door with an empty bosom:

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.

(Oh that I had a hearer, ) and if I had not feared the hand of the Lord; and [as to] the written charge which I had against any one,

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

I would place [it] as a chaplet on my shoulders, and read it.

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

And if I did not read it and return it, having taken nothing from the debtor:

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

If at any time the land groaned against me, and if its furrows mourned together;

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

and if I ate its strength alone without price, and if I too grieved the heart of the owner of the soil, by taking [anything] from [him]:

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

then let the nettle come up to me instead of wheat, and a bramble instead of barley. And Job ceased speaking.