Job 31

1 “I have cut a covenant with my eyes;
How then could I gaze at a virgin?
2 “And what is the portion of God from above
Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 “Is it not disaster to the unjust
And misfortune to those who work iniquity?
4 “Does He not see my ways
And number all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with worthlessness,
And my foot has hastened after deceit,
6 Let Him weigh me with ^{▼▼Lit righteous; Job 8:3, 6; 29:14}just scales,
And let God know my integrity.
7 “If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart ^{▼▼Lit walked after}followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me sow and another eat,
And let my ^{▼▼Or offspring}crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or I have lied in wait at my neighbor’s doorway,
10 May my wife grind for another,
And let others ^{▼▼Sexual relations}kneel down over her.
11 “For that would be lewdness;
Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges.
12 “For it would be fire that consumes to ^{▼▼Lit the realm of destruction}Abaddon,
And would uproot all my ^{▼▼Or yield}produce.
13 “If I have rejected the justice of my male or female ^{▼▼Or servants, cf. Job 1:3}slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
14 What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, with what will I respond to Him?
15 “Did not He who made me in the womb make him,
And the same one fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have held back the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the orphan has not eaten from it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from the womb of my mother I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering,
20 If his loins have not blessed me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have waved my hand against the orphan
Because I saw my help in the gate,
22 Let my shoulder fall from the ^{▼▼Or back; lit shoulder}socket,
And my arm be broken off ^{▼▼Lit from the bone of the upper arm}at the elbow.
23 “For disaster from God is a dread to me,
And because of His exaltedness I can do nothing.
24 “If I have put my confidence in gold,
And called fine gold my trust,
25 If I have been glad because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had found so much,
26 If I have looked at the ^{▼▼Lit light}sun when it shone
Or the moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart became secretly enticed,
And my hand ^{▼▼Lit kissed my mouth}threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 That too would have been an iniquity calling for ^{▼▼Lit judges}judgment,
For I would have denied God above.
29 “If I have been glad at the upheaval of the one who hated me,
Or ^{▼▼Lit lifted myself up}exulted when evil found him—
30 “But I have not given over my ^{▼▼Lit palate}mouth to sin
By asking for his life in a curse—
31 “If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who can ^{▼▼Lit give}find one who has not been satisfied with his meat’—
32 “The sojourner has not lodged outside,
For I have opened my doors to the ^{▼▼M.T. way}traveler—
33 “If I have covered my transgressions like ^{▼▼Or mankind}Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And I kept silent and did not go out of doors—
35 “Oh that I had one to hear me!
Behold, here is my ^{▼▼Lit mark}signature;
Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my accuser has written,
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
I would bind it to myself like a crown.
37 “I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him—
38 “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together,
39 If I have eaten its ^{▼▼Lit strength}fruit without money,
Or have caused ^{▼▼Lit the soul of its owners to expire}its owners to lose their lives,
40 Let briars come out instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.