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31 I made a covenant with mine eyes; and how should I fix my regard upon a maid?

For what would have been [my] portion of +God from above, and what the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

Is not calamity for the unrighteous? and misfortune for the workers of iniquity?

Doth not he see my ways, and number all my steps?

If I have walked with falsehood, and my foot hath hasted to deceit,

(Let me be weighed in an even balance, and +God will take knowledge of my blamelessness;)

If my step have turned out of the way, and my heart followed mine eyes, and if any blot cleaveth to my hands;

Let me sow, and another eat; and let mine offspring be rooted out.

If my heart have been enticed unto a woman, so that I laid wait at my neighbour's door,

10 Let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down upon her.

11 For this is an infamy; yea, it is an iniquity [to be judged by] the judges:

12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13 If I have despised the cause of my bondman or of my bondmaid, when they contended with me,

14 What then should I do when God riseth up? and if he visited, what should 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 caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17 Or have eaten my morsel alone, so that the fatherless ate not thereof,

18 (For from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and I have guided the [widow] from my mother's womb;)

19 If I have seen any perishing for want of clothing, or any needy without covering;

20 If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my lambs;

21 If I have lifted up my hand against an orphan, because I saw my help in the gate:

22 [Then] let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone!

23 For calamity from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his excellency I was powerless.

24 If I have made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold, My confidence!

25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much;

26 If I beheld the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in brightness,

27 And my heart have been secretly enticed, so that my mouth kissed my hand:

28 This also would be an iniquity for the judge, for I should have denied the God who is above.

29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, and exulted when evil befell him;

30 (Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by asking his life with a curse;)

31 If the men of my tent said not, Who shall find one that hath not been satisfied with his meat?—

32 The stranger did not lodge without; I opened my doors to the pathway.

33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,

34 Because I feared the great multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and went not out of the door, …

35 Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold my signature: let the Almighty answer me! And let mine opponent write an accusation!

36 Would I not take it upon my shoulder? I would bind it on to me [as] a crown;

37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I come near to him.

38 If my land cry out against me, and its furrows weep together;

39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, and have tormented to death the souls of its owners:

40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and tares instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes(A)
    not to look lustfully at a young woman.(B)
For what is our lot(C) from God above,
    our heritage from the Almighty on high?(D)
Is it not ruin(E) for the wicked,
    disaster(F) for those who do wrong?(G)
Does he not see my ways(H)
    and count my every step?(I)

“If I have walked with falsehood
    or my foot has hurried after deceit(J)
let God weigh me(K) in honest scales(L)
    and he will know that I am blameless(M)
if my steps have turned from the path,(N)
    if my heart has been led by my eyes,
    or if my hands(O) have been defiled,(P)
then may others eat what I have sown,(Q)
    and may my crops be uprooted.(R)

“If my heart has been enticed(S) by a woman,(T)
    or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind(U) another man’s grain,
    and may other men sleep with her.(V)
11 For that would have been wicked,(W)
    a sin to be judged.(X)
12 It is a fire(Y) that burns to Destruction[a];(Z)
    it would have uprooted my harvest.(AA)

13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,(AB)
    whether male or female,
    when they had a grievance against me,(AC)
14 what will I do when God confronts me?(AD)
    What will I answer when called to account?(AE)
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?(AF)
    Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?(AG)

16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor(AH)
    or let the eyes of the widow(AI) grow weary,(AJ)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless(AK)
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow(AL)
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,(AM)
    or the needy(AN) without garments,
20 and their hearts did not bless me(AO)
    for warming them with the fleece(AP) from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,(AQ)
    knowing that I had influence in court,(AR)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.(AS)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,(AT)
    and for fear of his splendor(AU) I could not do such things.(AV)

24 “If I have put my trust in gold(AW)
    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’(AX)
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,(AY)
    the fortune my hands had gained,(AZ)
26 if I have regarded the sun(BA) in its radiance
    or the moon(BB) moving in splendor,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed(BC)
    and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,(BD)
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,(BE)
    for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.(BF)

29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune(BG)
    or gloated over the trouble that came to him(BH)
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin
    by invoking a curse against their life(BI)
31 if those of my household have never said,
    ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’(BJ)
32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
    for my door was always open to the traveler(BK)
33 if I have concealed(BL) my sin as people do,[b]
    by hiding(BM) my guilt in my heart
34 because I so feared the crowd(BN)
    and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
    that I kept silent(BO) and would not go outside—

35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!(BP)
    I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
    let my accuser(BQ) put his indictment in writing.
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,(BR)
    I would put it on like a crown.(BS)
37 I would give him an account of my every step;(BT)
    I would present it to him as to a ruler.(BU))—

38 “if my land cries out against me(BV)
    and all its furrows are wet(BW) with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment(BX)
    or broken the spirit of its tenants,(BY)
40 then let briers(BZ) come up instead of wheat
    and stinkweed(CA) instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.(CB)

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:12 Hebrew Abaddon
  2. Job 31:33 Or as Adam did