Hiob 31 | King James Version

1 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' 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 rejoiced 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 rejoiced 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.

King James Bible (1769). Public Domain. Please note the following exceptions for use and publication in the United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press

English Standard Version

Job’s Final Appeal

1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?

2 What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high?

3 Is not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for the workers of iniquity?

4 Does not he see my ways and number all my steps?

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!)

7 if 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,

8 then let me sow, and another eat, and let what grows for me* be rooted out.

9 “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,

10 then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down on her.

11 For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;

12 for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn to the root all my increase.

13 “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me,

14 what then shall I do when God rises up? When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?

15 Did not he who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?

16 “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

17 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it

18 (for from my youth the fatherless* grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow*),

19 if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or the needy without covering,

20 if his body has not blessed me,* and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,

22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket.

23 For I was in terror of calamity from God, and I could not have faced his majesty.

24 “If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence,

25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant or because my hand had found much,

26 if I have looked at the sun* when it shone, or the moon moving in splendor,

27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand,

28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have been false to God above.

29 “If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him

30 (I have not let my mouth sin by asking for his life with a curse),

31 if the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?’

32 (the sojourner has not lodged in the street; I have opened my doors to the traveler),

33 if I have concealed my transgressions as others do* by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

34 because 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—

35 Oh, 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!

36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me as a crown;

37 I 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,

39 if I have eaten its yield without payment and made its owners breathe their last,

40 let thorns grow instead of wheat, and foul weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.

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