Job 31

1 “I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

I MADE a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

2 For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?

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

3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

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

4 Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?

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

5 “If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit

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

6 (let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);

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

7 if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

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

8 then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

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

9 “If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door,

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

10 then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.

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

11 For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,

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

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

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

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

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

14 what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?

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

15 Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?

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

17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

18 (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);

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

19 if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;

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

20 if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;

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

21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;

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

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

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

23 For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.

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

24 “If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’

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

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

If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

26 if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendour,

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

27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;

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

28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.

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

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

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

30 (I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);

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

31 if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’

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

32 (the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveller);

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

33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

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

34 because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—

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?

35 oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!

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

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

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

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

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

38 If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;

If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

39 if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

40 let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.

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