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38 I have never mistreated
the land I farmed
    and made it mourn.[a]
39 Nor have I cheated
my workers
    and caused them pain.[b]
40 If I had, I would pray
for weeds instead of wheat
    to grow in my fields.
After saying these things,
    Job was silent.

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Footnotes

  1. 31.38 mourn: In biblical times there were strict regulations for proper use of the land, and land that was abused was said to “mourn” and become no longer productive.
  2. 31.39 pain: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 39.

38 “if my land cries out against me(A)
    and all its furrows are wet(B) with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment(C)
    or broken the spirit of its tenants,(D)
40 then let briers(E) come up instead of wheat
    and stinkweed(F) instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.(G)

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