Job 31

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

“I made a covenant for my eyes, And how do I attend to a virgin?

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

And what [is] the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?

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

Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?

4 Doth not he 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 vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

If I have walked with vanity, And my foot hurries to deceit,

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

He weighs me in righteous balances, And God knows my integrity.

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 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; yes, let my offspring be rooted out.

Let me sow—and another eat, And let my products be rooted out.

9 If my heart hath been deceived by a woman, or [if] I have laid 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 to another, and let others bow down upon her.

Let my wife grind to another, And let others bend over her.

11 For this [is] a hainous crime; yea, it [is] an iniquity [to be punished by] the judges.

For it [is] a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;

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

For it [is] a fire, it consumes to destruction, And takes root among all my increase,

13 If I despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me;

If I despise the cause of my manservant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,

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

Then what do I do when God arises? And when He inspects, What do I answer Him?

15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us 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 the poor from [their] desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

If I withhold the poor from pleasure, And consume the eyes of the widow,

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

And I eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan has nothing [to] eat of it,

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; )

(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 any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

If I see [any] perishing without clothing, And there is no covering for the needy,

20 If his loins have not blessed me, and [if] he hath not been warmed with the fleece 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 the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

If I have waved my hand at the fatherless, When I see [him] in the gate of my court,

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

Let my shoulder fall from its blade, And the bone from my arm be broken.

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

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, or have said to the fine gold, [Thou art] my confidence;

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, and because my hand had gained much;

If I rejoice because my wealth [is] great, And because my hand has found abundance,

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

If I see the light when it shines, And the precious moon walking,

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

And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand kisses my mouth,

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

It also [is] a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.

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

If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,

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

Indeed, I have not permitted my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.

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

If not, say, O men of my tent: O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.

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

A stranger does not lodge in the street, I open my doors to the traveler.

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

If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, To hide my iniquity in my bosom,

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?

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

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 take it upon my shoulder, [and] bind it [as] a crown to me.

If not—on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it [as] a crown on myself.

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

The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.

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

If my land cries out against me, And together its furrows weep,

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

If I consumed its strength without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,

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

Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed!” The words of Job are finished.