Job 31

1 “Me prometí a mí mismo no mirar nunca con deseo a las jóvenes.

“I solemnly promised myself that I would not look at a young woman with a desire [to have sex with her].

2 ¿Qué debe esperar la gente de Dios? ¿Qué recompensa debe darles el Todopoderoso en lo alto?

[If I did not do what I promised, ] what would God who is in heaven [MTY] do to me [RHQ]? Almighty [God] would certainly not [RHQ] give me any reward!

3 ¿No es el desastre para los malvados y la destrucción para los que hacen el mal?

[Previously I thought that] surely [RHQ] it was unrighteous people who would experience calamities, and that it was those who do what is wrong who would experience disasters.

4 ¿No ve Dios todo lo que hago, incluso cuenta cada paso que doy?

God certainly sees [RHQ] everything that I do, [so why is he causing me to suffer?] [It is as though] he counts every step that I take.

5 ¿He vivido una vida engañosa? ¿He estado ansioso por decir mentiras?

[“I solemnly declare that] I have never acted wickedly and have never tried to deceive people.

6 ¡No! Que Dios me pese en la balanza de su justicia y que descubra mi integridad.

I request only that God judge me fairly [MET], and if he does that, he will know that I (am innocent/have not done what is wrong).

7 “Si me he desviado del camino de Dios, si he dejado que lo que veo se convierta en mis deseos, si hay alguna mancha de pecado en mis manos,

If [it were true that] I have stopped living righteously, or [that] I [SYN] have desired the things that I look at [MTY], or [that] I am guilty of any other sin,

8 entonces que otro coma lo que he sembrado, y que todo lo que he cultivado sea desarraigado.

then I hope/wish that when I plant [seeds], someone else will [harvest the crops and] eat [them] and that others will uproot the [fruit trees] that I planted.

9 Si una mujer me ha seducido, o si he buscado la oportunidad de acostarme con la mujer de mi prójimo,

“If [it were true that] I [SYN] have been attracted by some other man’s wife, or [that] I have hidden myself and waited outside [the] door [to] her [house],

10 que mi esposa sirva a otro, que otros hombres se acuesten con ella.

I hope/desire that my wife will become the servant/slave of another man and have sex [EUP] with him.

11 Porque eso sería una maldad, un pecado que merece castigo,

[For me to do] that would be a terrible sin, and the judges would decide that I should be punished.

12 porque este pecado es como un fuego que lleva a la destrucción, destruyendo todo lo que tengo.

My [committing adultery] would [produce in me a fire like] [MET] the fire that burns people in hell, and it would burn up everything that I own. (questioned)

13 “Si me negara a escuchar a mis siervos o siervas cuando me trajeran sus quejas,

“And, if [it were true that] I have ever refused to listen to one of my male or female servants when they complained to me about something,

14 ¿qué haría cuando Dios viniera a juzgarme? ¿Cómo respondería si me investigara?

God would arise [and declare that he would punish me]; and when he would do that, what would I do? If he would ask me [about what I have done], (what would I answer?/I would not be able to answer.) [RHQ]

15 ¿Acaso el mismo Dios no nos hizo a todos?

God, who created me, certainly also created my servants [RHQ]; surely he is the one who formed them and me in our mothers’ wombs [RHQ]; [so we all should behave toward each other equally].

16 ¿Me he negado a dar a los pobres lo que necesitaban, o he hecho desesperar a las viudas?

“I have guided orphans from the time that they were born; I have taken care of them since they were young. So, if [it were true that] I ate all my food myself and did not share some of it with orphans, or [that] I refused to give poor people the things that they wanted, or [that] I caused widows to live (in despair/without hope [that they would receive any help from anyone]),

17 ¿Acaso he comido yo solo un trozo de pan? ¿No he compartido siempre mi comida con los huérfanos?

18 Desde que era joven fui padre de los huérfanos y cuidé de las viudas.

19 Si alguna vez veía a alguien necesitado de ropa, a los pobres sin nada que ponerse,

or [that] I had seen people die [from cold] because they had no clothes, or [that] I had seen poor people who did not have clothes [to keep them warm],

20 siempre me agradecían la ropa de lana que los mantenía calientes.

and they were not able to become warm [from clothes made] from the wool of my sheep with the result that they thanked me for [giving them clothes, ]

21 “Si levantaba la mano para golpear a un huérfano, seguro de que si llegaba a los tribunales los jueces estarían de mi parte,

or if [it were true that] I threatened to strike any orphan because I knew that the elders at the city gates would (decide in my favor);

22 entonces que mi hombro sea arrancado de su articulación, que mi brazo sea arrancado de su cavidad.

[if those things were true about me], I hope/desire that my shoulder blade would be torn out and my arm be torn from my shoulder.

23 Como me aterra el castigo que Dios me tiene reservado, y debido a su majestad, nunca podría hacer esto.

I always feared that God would cause me to experience a great disaster [if I did any of those evil things], and I would not have been able to endure the powerful [things that he would do to punish me].

24 “¿He puesto mi confianza en el oro, llamando al oro fino ‘mi seguridad’?

“If [it were true that] I trusted in my gold/money [DOU],

25 ¿Me he deleitado en ser rico, feliz por todas mis riquezas que había ganado?

or that I rejoiced because I had acquired many things and had become very rich,

26 ¿He mirado el sol brillando tan intensamente o la luna moviéndose con majestuosidad por el cielo

or that I looked at the sun when it was shining or looked at the beautiful moon

27 y he tenido la tentación de adorarlos secretamente besando mi mano ante ellos como señal de devoción?

and I [SYN] had been tempted [to worship them] by kissing my hand to revere them,

28 Esto también sería un pecado que merece castigo porque significaría que he negado a Dios en lo alto.

those things also would be sins for which the judges would say that I must be punished, because I would have been rejecting God [by doing those things].

29 “¿Alguna vez me he alegrado cuando el desastre destruyó a los que me odiaban, o he celebrado cuando el mal los derribó?

“[It is not true that] I [SYN] sinned by requesting God to curse people who hated me with the result that God would cause them to die. It is also not true that I was glad when they were ruined or that I rejoiced when they experienced disasters [DOU].

30 Nunca he permitido que mi boca pecara echando una maldición sobre la vida de alguien.

31 ¿No ha preguntado mi familia: ‘¿Hay alguien que no haya comido todo lo que quería de su comida?’

[It is also not true that] I never welcomed travelers to stay in my tent or that I did not open my doors to them, but [forced them to] sleep in the streets. [All] the men who work for me certainly know that [RHQ]!

32 Nunca he dejado dormir a extraños en la calle; he abierto mis puertas a los viajeros.

33 ¿He ocultado mis pecados a los demás, escondiendo mi maldad en lo más profundo de mí?

Some people try to hide their sins, but I have never done that;

34 ¿Tenía miedo de lo que pensaran los demás, del desprecio que me hicieran las familias, y por eso me callaba y no salía?

and I never remained silent and refused to go outside of my home because I was very (afraid of/worried about) what people would say [about me], and that they would hate/scorn me.

35 “¿Por qué nadie escucha lo que digo? Firmo con mi nombre para avalar todo lo que he dicho. Que el Todopoderoso me responda. Que mi acusador escriba de qué me acusa.

“I wish/desire that there was someone who would hear what I am saying! I solemnly declare [that all that I have said is true]. I wish that those who oppose me would write down [on a scroll] the evil things that they say that I did.

36 Yo los pondría en alto; Los llevaría en mi cabeza como una corona.

[If they did that, ] I would wear that scroll on my shoulder, or wear it on top of my head, [in order that everyone could see it].

37 Le explicaría todo lo que había hecho; mantendría la cabeza alta ante él.

I would tell [God] everything that I have done, and I would approach him [confidently], like a ruler would.

38 “Si mi tierra ha gritado contra mí; si sus surcos han llorado por mí;

If [it were true that] I have stolen land, with the result that [it was as though] its furrows cried out to accuse me of stealing;

39 si he tomado sus cosechas sin pago o si he causado daño a los agricultores;

or [if it were true that] I have eaten the crops that grew in someone else’s fields without paying [for those crops], with the result that those farmers who grew those crops died [from hunger];

40 entonces que crezcan espinas en lugar de trigo, y cizaña en lugar de cebada”. Las palabras de Job se terminan.

then I wish/desire that thorns would grow [in my fields] instead of wheat. May bad weeds grow instead of barley!” That is the end of what Job said [to his three friends].