Job 31

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

A covenant, I solemnised for mine eyes, —How then could I gaze upon a virgin?

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

Or what would have been my portion of GOD from above? Or what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

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

Is there not calamity, for the perverse? and misfortune, for the workers of iniquity?

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

Would, he, not see my ways? and of all my steps, take account?

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

Verily I walked not in falsity, nor did my foot haste unto deceit: —

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

Let him weigh me in balances of righteousness, —and let GOD take note of mine 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 goings have swerved from the way, —and, after mine eyes, hath gone my heart, and, to my hands, hath adhered any stain,

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

Let me sow but, another, eat. And let, what I have springing up, be uprooted!

9 If my heart hath been deceived by a woman, or [if] I have laid wait at my neighbor's door;

If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, or, by the door of my neighbour, I have lien in wait,

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

Let my wife, grind to another, and, over her, let others bend!

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

Surely that had been a shameful thing! and that an iniquity for the judges!

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

Surely, a fire, had that been, which, unto destruction, would have consumed, and, of all mine increase, had it torn up the root.

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

If I refused the right of my servant, or my handmaid, when they contended with me,

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

What then could I have done when GOD rose up? And, when he visited, what could I have answered him?

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

Did not he who, in the womb, made me, make him? And is not he who formed us in the body one?

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

If I withheld—from pleasure—the poor, or, the eyes of the widow, I dimmed;

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

Or, used to eat my morsel alone, so that the fatherless did not eat thereof;

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; )

Surely, from my youth, he grew up to me, as to a father, and, from my birth, I acted as guide to her:

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

If I saw one perishing for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

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

If his loins did not bless me, or if, with the fleece of my lambs, he did not warm himself;

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

If I shook—against the fatherless—my hand, when I saw, in the gate, his need of my help,

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

Let, my shoulder, from the shoulder-blade, fall, and, my arm, from the upper bone, be broken;

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

For, a dread unto me, was calamity from GOD, and, from his majesty, I could not escape.

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

If I made gold my stay, and, to precious metal, said, My confidence!

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

If I rejoiced because great was my substance, and, an abundance, my hand had discovered;

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

If I looked at the sun, when it flashed forth light, or at the moon, majestically marching along;

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

And befooled secretly was my heart, so that my hand kissed 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 too, had been a judicial iniquity, For I should have been false 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 rejoiced in the misfortune of him that hated me, or exulted when calamity found him; —

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

Neither did I suffer my palate to sin, by asking, with a curse, for his life:

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

If the men of my household have not said, Oh for some of his flesh—we cannot get filled,

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

Outside, the sojourner lodged not for the night, My doors—to the wayfarer, I threw open.

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

If I covered, like Adam, my transgressions, by hiding in my bosom mine iniquity,

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?

Then let me be made to tremble at a great throng, yea let, the contempt of families, terrify me, so that, keeping silence, I shall not go out of the door!

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.

Oh that I had one to hear me, Lo! my crossmark, May, the Almighty, answer me! And would that, a book, mine opponent had written!

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

Oh! would I not, upon my shoulder, lift it, or bind it as a crown upon me;

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

The number of my footsteps, I would declare to him, Like a noble, would I draw near to him.

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

If, against me, my ground used to cry out, and, together, my ridges did weep;

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

If, the strength thereof, I used to eat, without payment, and, the soul of the holders thereof, I made groan;

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

Instead of wheat, let there come forth bramble, and, instead of barley, a bad-smelling weed! Ended are the words of Job.