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Job 31

1“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
1“I made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?
2For what is the allotment of God from above, or the heritage from the Almighty on high?
2For what is the portion from God above, and the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3Does not disaster come to the unjust and calamity to the workers of iniquity?
3Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, and disaster to the workers of iniquity?
4Does He not see my ways and count my every step?
4Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has rushed to deceit,
5“If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot has hurried to deceit
6let God weigh me with honest scales, that He may know my integrity.
6(let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know my integrity);
7If my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if impurity has stuck to my hands,
7if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,
8then may another eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
8then let me sow, and let another eat. Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
9If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,
9“If my heart has been enticed to a woman, and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,
10then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her.
10then let my wife grind for another, and let others sleep with her.
11For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.
11For that would be a heinous crime. Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
12For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon; it would root out my entire harvest.
12for it is a fire that consumes to destruction, and would root out all my increase.
13If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
13“If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me,
14what will I do when God rises to judge? How will I answer when called to account?
14what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him?
15Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?
15Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?
16If I have denied the desires of the poor or allowed the widow’s eyes to fail,
16“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17if I have eaten my morsel alone, not sharing it with the fatherless—
17or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18though from my youth I reared him as would a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow—
18(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, I have guided her from my mother’s womb);
19if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing, or a needy man without a cloak,
19if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or that the needy had no covering;
20if his heart has not blessed me for warming him with the fleece of my sheep,
20if his heart hasn’t blessed me, if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;
21if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I saw that I had support in the gate,
21if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate;
22then may my arm fall from my shoulder and be torn from its socket.
22then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.
23For calamity from God terrifies me, and His splendor I cannot overpower.
23For calamity from God is a terror to me. Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.
24If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
24“If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’
25if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,
25If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;
26if I have beheld the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor,
26if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor,
27so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
27and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;
28this would also be an iniquity to be judged, for I would have denied God on high.
28this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
29If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
29“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
30I have not allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—
30(I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse);
31if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
31if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’
32but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—
32(the foreigner has not camped in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler);
33if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
33if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34because I greatly feared the crowds and the contempt of the clans terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside—
34because 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—
35(Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.
35oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me! Let the accuser write my indictment!
36Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.
36Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, and I would bind it to me as a crown.
37I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)—
37I would declare to him the number of my steps. I would go near to him like a prince.
38if my land cries out against me and its furrows weep together,
38If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
39if I have devoured its produce without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,
39if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
40then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
40let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.