Job 31
King James Version
31 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
2 For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
5 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 mine integrity.
7 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; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
9 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 unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
11 For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
14 What then 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? 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;
17 Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;
18 (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 any poor without covering;
20 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, when I saw my help in the gate:
22 Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 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, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
25 If I rejoice because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:
28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.
29 If I rejoice at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:
30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.
32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.
33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:
34 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 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 take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.
37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.
38 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
Job 31
1599 Geneva Bible
31 1 Job reciteth the innocence of his living and number of his virtues, which declareth what ought to be the life of the faithful.
1 I made a covenant with mine [a]eyes: why then should I think on [b]a maid?
2 For what portion should I have of God from above? and what inheritance of the almighty from on high?
3 Is not destruction to the wicked, and strange punishment to [c]the workers of iniquity?
4 Doth not he behold my ways, and tell all my steps?
5 If I have walked in vanity, or if my foot hath made haste to deceit?
6 Let God weigh me in the just balance, and he shall know my [d]uprightness.
7 If my step hath turned out of the way, or mine heart hath [e]walked after mine eye, or if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands,
8 Let me sow, and let another [f]eat: yea, let my plants be rooted out.
9 If mine heart hath been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at the door of my neighbor,
10 Let my wife [g]grind unto another man, and let other men bow down upon her.
11 For this is a wickedness, and iniquity to be condemned.
12 Yea, this is a fire that shall devour [h]to destruction, and which shall root out all my increase.
13 If I did contemn the judgment of my servant, and of my maid, when they [i]did contend with me,
14 What then shall I do when [j]God standeth up? and when he shall visit me, what shall I answer?
15 He that hath made me in the womb, hath he not made [k]him? hath not he alone fashioned us in the womb?
16 If I restrained the poor of their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow [l]to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsels alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof,
18 (For from my youth hath he grown up with me [m]as with a father, and from my mother’s womb have I been a guide unto her.)
19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering,
20 If his loins have not blessed me, because he was warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted [n]up mine hand against the fatherless, when I saw that I might help him in the gate,
22 Let mine [o]arm fall from my shoulder, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 For God’s punishment was [p]fearful unto me, and I could not be delivered from his Highness.
24 If I made gold mine hope, or have said to the wedge of gold, Thou art my confidence,
25 If I rejoiced because my substance was great, or because mine hand had gotten much,
26 If I did behold the [q]sun, when it shined, or the moon walking in her brightness,
27 If mine heart did flatter me in secret, or if my mouth did kiss mine [r]hand,
28 (This also had been an iniquity to be condemned: for I had denied the God [s]above.)
29 If I rejoiced at his destruction that hated me, or was moved to joy when evil came upon him,
30 Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin, by wishing a curse unto his soul.
31 Did not the men of my [t]Tabernacle say, Who shall give us of his flesh? we cannot be satisfied.
32 The stranger did not lodge in the street, but I opened my doors unto him, that went by the way.
33 If I have hid [u]my sins, as Adam, concealing mine iniquity in my bosom,
34 Though I could have made afraid a great multitude, yet the most contemptible of the families did [v]fear me: so I kept [w]silence, and went not out of the door.
35 Oh that I had some to hear me! behold my [x]sign that the Almighty will witness for me: though mine adversary should write a book against me,
36 Would not I take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a [y]crown unto me?
37 I will tell him the number of my goings, and go unto him as to a [z]prince.
38 If my land [aa]cry against me, or the furrows thereof complain together,
39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without silver: or if I have grieved [ab]the souls of the masters thereof,
40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle in the stead of barley.
THE [ac]WORDS OF JOB ARE ENDED.
Footnotes
- Job 31:1 I kept my eyes from all wanton looks.
- Job 31:1 Would not God then have punished me?
- Job 31:3 Job declareth that the fear of God was a bridle to stay him from all wickedness.
- Job 31:6 He showeth wherein his uprightness standeth, that is, inasmuch as he was blameless before men, and sinned not against the second Table.
- Job 31:7 That is, hath accomplished the lust of mine eyes.
- Job 31:8 According to the curse of the law, Deut. 28:33.
- Job 31:10 Let her be made a slave.
- Job 31:12 He showeth that albeit man neglect the punishment of adultery, yet the wrath of God will never cease till such be destroyed.
- Job 31:13 When they thought themselves evil entreated by me.
- Job 31:14 If I had oppressed others, how should I have escaped God’s judgment.
- Job 31:15 He was moved to show pity unto servants, because they were God’s creatures as he was.
- Job 31:16 By long waiting for her request.
- Job 31:18 He nourished the fatherless, and maintained the widow’s cause.
- Job 31:21 To oppress him and to do him injury.
- Job 31:22 Let me rot in pieces.
- Job 31:23 I refrained not from sinning for fear of men, but because I feared God.
- Job 31:26 If I was proud of my worldly prosperity and felicity, which is meant by the shining of the sun, and brightness of the moon.
- Job 31:27 If mine own doings delighted me.
- Job 31:28 By putting confidence in anything but in him alone.
- Job 31:31 My servants moved me to be revenged of mine enemy, yet did I never wish him hurt.
- Job 31:33 And not confessed it freely: whereby it is evident that he justified himself before men, and not before God.
- Job 31:34 That is, I reverenced the most weak and contemned, and was afraid to offend them.
- Job 31:34 I suffered them to speak evil of me, and went not out of my house to revenge it.
- Job 31:35 This is a sufficient token of my righteousness, that God is my witness and will justify my cause.
- Job 31:36 Should not this book of his accusations be a praise and commendation to me?
- Job 31:37 I will make him account of all my life, without fear.
- Job 31:38 As though I had withheld their wages that labored in it.
- Job 31:39 Meaning, that he was no briber nor extortioner.
- Job 31:40 That is, the talk which he had with his three friends.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
