1I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?2For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?3Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?4Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?5If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;6Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.7If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;8Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.9If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;10Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.11For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.12For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.13If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;14What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?15Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?16If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;17Or 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' womb;)19If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;20If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;21If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:22Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.23For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.24If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;25If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;26If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;27And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:28This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.29If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:30Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.31If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.32The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.33If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:34Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?35Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.36Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.37I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.38If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:40Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
Job 31
English Standard Version
Job’s Final Appeal
1“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? (Isa 33:15; Mt 5:28)2What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high? (Job 20:29)3Is not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for the workers of iniquity?4Does not he see my ways and number all my steps? (2Ch 16:9; Job 14:16; Job 34:21; Pr 5:21; Pr 15:3; Jer 16:17; Jer 32:19; Zec 4:10)5“If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit;6(Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!) (Da 5:27)7if my step has turned aside from the way and my heart has gone after my eyes, and if any spot has stuck to my hands, (Nu 15:39; Job 11:15; Ec 11:9)8then let me sow, and another eat, and let what grows for me[1] be rooted out. (Le 26:16; De 28:30; De 28:38; Joh 4:37)9“If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door, (Job 24:15)10then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down on her. (Ex 11:5; 2Sa 12:11; Isa 47:2; Jer 8:10)11For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; (Le 20:10; De 22:22; Job 31:28)12for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn to the root all my increase. (Pr 6:27)13“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me,14what then shall I do when God rises up? When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him? (Ps 17:3)15Did not he who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb? (Job 34:19; Pr 14:31; Pr 22:2; Eph 6:9)16“If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, (Job 11:20; Job 17:5; Job 22:7)17or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it18(for from my youth the fatherless[2] grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow[3]),19if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or the needy without covering, (Job 24:7; Job 24:10; Job 29:13)20if his body has not blessed me,[4] and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, (De 24:13; Job 29:13)21if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate, (Job 5:4; Job 22:9)22then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket.23For I was in terror of calamity from God, and I could not have faced his majesty. (Job 13:11)24“If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence, (Job 4:6; Job 28:16; Mr 10:24)25if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant or because my hand had found much, (De 8:17; Ps 62:10)26if I have looked at the sun[5] when it shone, or the moon moving in splendor, (De 4:19; De 17:3; 2Ki 23:5; 2Ki 23:11; Jer 44:17; Eze 8:16)27and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand,28this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have been false to God above. (Job 31:11)29“If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him (Pr 17:5)30(I have not let my mouth sin by asking for his life with a curse), (Mt 5:44; Ro 12:14)31if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?’ (Ex 16:12; 1Sa 25:11)32(the sojourner has not lodged in the street; I have opened my doors to the traveler), (Ge 19:2; Jud 19:20; Mt 25:35; Heb 13:2)33if I have concealed my transgressions as others do[6] by hiding my iniquity in my heart, (Ge 3:8; Ge 3:12; Pr 28:13)34because I stood in great fear of the multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors— (Ex 23:2)35Oh, that I had one to hear me! (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!) Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary! (Job 13:22; Job 19:23)36Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me as a crown; (Pr 6:21; Isa 9:6; Isa 22:22; Zec 6:11)37I would give him an account of all my steps; like a prince I would approach him.38“If my land has cried out against me and its furrows have wept together,39if I have eaten its yield without payment and made its owners breathe their last, (1Ki 21:16; 1Ki 21:19; Job 22:6; Lu 10:7; 2Ti 2:6; Jas 5:4)40let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended. (Ge 3:18)