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Job 31
New International Reader's Version
Job 31
New International Reader's Version
31 “I made an agreement with my eyes.
I promised not to look at a young woman with impure thoughts.
2 What do we receive from God above?
What do we get from the Mighty One in heaven?
3 Sinful people are destroyed.
Trouble comes to those who do what is wrong.
4 Doesn’t God see how I live?
Doesn’t he count every step I take?
5 “I haven’t told any lies.
My feet haven’t hurried to cheat others.
6 So let God weigh me in honest scales.
Then he’ll know I haven’t done anything wrong.
7 Suppose my steps have turned away from the right path.
Suppose my heart has wanted what my eyes have seen.
Or suppose my hands have become ‘unclean.’
8 Then may others eat what I’ve planted.
May my crops be pulled up by the roots.
9 “Suppose my heart has been tempted by a woman.
Or suppose I’ve prowled around my neighbor’s home.
10 Then may my wife grind another man’s grain.
May other men sleep with her.
11 Wanting another woman would have been an evil thing.
It would have been a sin that should be judged.
12 It’s like a fire that burns down to the grave.
It would have caused my crops to be pulled up by the roots.
13 “Suppose I haven’t treated any of my male and female servants fairly
when they’ve brought charges against me.
14 Then what will I do when God opposes me?
What answer will I give him
when he asks me to explain myself?
15 Didn’t he who made me make my servants also?
Didn’t the same God form us inside our mothers?
16 “I haven’t said no to what poor people have wanted.
I haven’t let widows lose their hope.
17 I haven’t kept my bread to myself.
I’ve shared it with children whose fathers had died.
18 From the time I was young, I’ve helped those widows.
I’ve raised those children as a father would.
19 Suppose I’ve seen people dying
because they didn’t have enough clothes.
I’ve seen needy people
who didn’t have enough to keep warm.
20 And they didn’t give me their blessing
when I warmed them with wool from my sheep.
21 Suppose I’ve raised my hand
against children whose fathers have died.
And I did it because I knew
I had power in the courts.
22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder.
Let it be broken off at the joint.
23 I was afraid God would destroy me.
His glory terrifies me.
So I’d never do things like that.
24 “Suppose I’ve put my trust in gold.
I’ve said to pure gold, ‘You make me feel secure.’
25 And I’m happy because I’m so wealthy.
I’m glad because my hands have earned so much.
26 Suppose I’ve worshiped the sun in all its glory.
I’ve bowed down to the moon in all its beauty.
27 My heart has been secretly tempted.
My hand has thrown kisses to the sun and moon.
28 Then these things would have been sins that should be judged.
And I wouldn’t have been faithful to God in heaven.
29 “I wasn’t happy when hard times came to my enemies.
I didn’t enjoy seeing the trouble they had.
30 I didn’t allow my mouth to sin
by asking for bad things to happen to them.
31 The workers in my house always said,
‘Job always gives plenty of food to everyone.’
32 No stranger ever had to spend the night in the street.
My door was always open to travelers.
33 I didn’t hide my sin as other people do.
I didn’t hide my guilt in my heart.
34 I was never afraid of the crowd.
I never worried that my relatives might hate me.
I didn’t have to keep quiet or stay inside.
35 “I wish someone would listen to me!
I’m signing my name to everything I’ve said.
I hope the Mighty One will give me his answer.
I hope the one who brings charges against me will write them down.
36 I’ll wear them on my shoulder.
I’ll put them on my head like a crown.
37 I’ll give that person a report of every step I take.
I’ll present it to him like I would to a ruler.
38 “Suppose my land cries out against me.
And all its soil is wet with tears.
39 Suppose I’ve used up its crops without paying for them.
Or I’ve broken the spirit of its renters.
40 Then let thorns grow instead of wheat.
Let stinkweed come up instead of barley.”
The words of Job end here.
Job 31
New International Version
Job 31
New International Version
31 “I made a covenant with my eyes(A)
not to look lustfully at a young woman.(B)
2 For what is our lot(C) from God above,
our heritage from the Almighty on high?(D)
3 Is it not ruin(E) for the wicked,
disaster(F) for those who do wrong?(G)
4 Does he not see my ways(H)
and count my every step?(I)
5 “If I have walked with falsehood
or my foot has hurried after deceit(J)—
6 let God weigh me(K) in honest scales(L)
and he will know that I am blameless(M)—
7 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)
8 then may others eat what I have sown,(Q)
and may my crops be uprooted.(R)
9 “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)
Job 31
King James Version
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.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV) 
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.