Job 31

1 A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what — do I attend to a virgin?

I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then could I gaze upon a maid?

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

For what is the portion appointed by God from above, And the inheritance allotted by the Almighty from on high?

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

Is not destruction for the wicked, And ruin for the workers of iniquity?

4 Doth not He see my ways, And all my steps number?

Doth He not see my ways, And number all my steps?

5 If I have walked with vanity, And my foot doth hasten to deceit,

If I have walked with falsehood, And if my foot hath hasted to deceit,

6 He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my integrity.

Let him weigh me in an even balance; Yea, let God know my integrity!

7 If my step doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish,

If my steps have turned aside from the way, And my heart gone after mine eyes, Or if any stain hath cleaved to my hand,

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

Then I may sow, and another eat; And what I plant, may it be rooted up!

9 If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait,

If my heart hath been enticed by a woman, Or if I have watched at my neighbor's door,

10 Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend.

Then let my wife grind for another, And let other men lie with her!

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

For this were a heinous crime, Even a transgression to be punished by the judges;

12 For a fire it [is], to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root,

Yea, it were a fire that would consume to destruction, And root out all my increase.

13 If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,

If I have refused justice to my man-servant or maid-servant, When they had a controversy with me,

14 Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do I answer Him?

Then what shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

15 Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.

Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Did not one fashion us in the womb?

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

If I have refused the poor their desire, And caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17 And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it,

If I have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not partaken of it;

18 (But from my youth He grew up with me as [with] a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.)

(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And I have helped the widow from my mother's womb; )

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

If I have seen any one perishing for want of clothing, Or any poor man without covering;

20 If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,

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

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

If I have shaken my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate, —

22 My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken.

Then may my shoulder fill from its blade, And my fore-arm be broken from its bone!

23 For a dread unto me [is] calamity [from] God, And because of His excellency I am not able.

For destruction from God was a terror to me, And before his majesty I could do nothing.

24 If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, 'My trust,'

If I have made gold my trust, Or said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

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

If I have rejoiced, because my wealth was great, And my hand had found abundance;

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

If I have beheld the sun in his splendor, Or the moon advancing in brightness,

27 And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth,

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

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

This also were a crime to be punished by the judge; For I should have denied the God who is above.

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

If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, And exulted when evil came upon him;

30 Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.

(Nay, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, By asking with curses his life; )

31 If not — say ye, O men of my tent, 'O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'

If the men of my tent have not exclaimed, “Who is there that hath not been satisfied with his meat?”

32 In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.

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

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

Have I, after the manner of men, hidden my transgression, Concealing my iniquity in my bosom,

34 Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.

Then let me be confounded before the great multitude! Let the contempt of families cover me with shame! Yea, let me keep silence! let me never appear abroad!

35 Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written.

O that there were one who would hear me! Behold my signature! let the Almighty answer me. And let mine adversary write down his charge!

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

Truly I would wear it upon my shoulder; I would bind it upon me as a crown.

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

I would disclose to him all my steps; I would approach him like a prince.

38 If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep,

If my land cry out against me, And its furrows bewail together;

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

If I have eaten of its fruits without payment, And wrung out the life of its owners,

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

Let thorns grow up instead of wheat, And noxious weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.