Job 31
New American Standard Bible
Job Asserts His Integrity
31 “I have made a covenant with my (A)eyes;
How then could I look at a virgin?
2 And what is (B)the portion of God from above,
Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is it not (C)disaster to the criminal,
And misfortune to (D)those who practice injustice?
4 Does He not (E)see my ways,
And (F)count all my steps?
5 “If I have (G)walked with deception,
And my foot has hurried after deceit,
6 Let Him (H)weigh me with [a]accurate scales,
And let God know (I)my integrity.
7 If my step has (J)turned from the way,
Or my heart [b]followed my eyes,
Or if any (K)spot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me (L)sow and another eat,
And let my [c](M)crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been (N)enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
10 May my wife (O)grind grain for another,
And let (P)others [d]kneel down over her.
11 For that would be a (Q)lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be (R)wrongdoing punishable by judges.
12 For it would be (S)fire that consumes to [e](T)Abaddon,
And would (U)uproot all my [f]increase.
13 “If I have (V)rejected the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
14 What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, how am I to answer Him?
15 Did (W)He who made me in the womb not make him,
And the same one create us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept (X)the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of (Y)the widow to fail,
17 Or have (Z)eaten my morsel alone,
And (AA)the orphan has not [g]shared it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from [h]my infancy I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish (AB)for lack of clothing,
Or that (AC)the needy had no covering,
20 If his waist has not [i]thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against (AD)the orphan,
Because I saw [j]I had support (AE)in the gate,
22 May my shoulder fall from its [k]socket,
And my (AF)arm be broken off [l]at the elbow.
23 For (AG)disaster from God is a terror to me,
And because of (AH)His majesty I can do nothing.
24 “If I have put my confidence in (AI)gold,
And called fine gold my trust,
25 If I have (AJ)gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had obtained so much;
26 If I have (AK)looked at the [m]sun when it shone,
Or the moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart was secretly enticed,
And my hand [n]threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 That too would have been (AL)a guilty deed calling for [o]judgment,
For I would have (AM)denied God above.
29 “Have I (AN)rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy,
Or become excited when evil found him?
30 [p]No, (AO)I have not [q]allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in (AP)a curse.
31 Have the people of my tent not said,
‘Who can [r]find one who has not been (AQ)satisfied with his meat’?
32 The stranger has not spent the night outside,
For I have opened my doors to the [s]traveler.
33 Have I (AR)covered my wrongdoings like a man,
By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,
34 Because I (AS)feared the great multitude
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And I kept silent and did not go out of doors?
35 Oh that I had one to hear me!
Here is my [t]signature;
(AT)Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my (AU)adversary has written,
36 I would certainly carry it on my shoulder,
I would tie it to myself like a garland.
37 I would declare to Him (AV)the number of my steps;
Like (AW)a prince, I would approach Him.
38 “If my (AX)land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If I have (AY)eaten its [u]fruit without money,
Or have (AZ)caused [v]its owners to lose their lives,
40 May the (BA)thorn-bush [w]grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Footnotes
- Job 31:6 Lit just
- Job 31:7 Lit walked after
- Job 31:8 Or offspring
- Job 31:10 I.e., have sexual relations with her
- Job 31:12 I.e., the place of destruction
- Job 31:12 Or yield
- Job 31:17 Lit eaten from it
- Job 31:18 Lit my mother’s womb
- Job 31:20 Lit blessed; i.e., for clothing
- Job 31:21 Lit my help
- Job 31:22 Lit neck-joint
- Job 31:22 Lit from the bone of the upper arm
- Job 31:26 Lit light
- Job 31:27 Lit kissed my mouth
- Job 31:28 Lit judges
- Job 31:30 Lit And
- Job 31:30 Lit given my palate
- Job 31:31 Lit give
- Job 31:32 MT way
- Job 31:35 Lit mark
- Job 31:39 Lit strength
- Job 31:39 Lit the soul of its owners to expire
- Job 31:40 Lit come forth
Job 31
American Standard Version
31 I made a covenant with mine eyes;
How then should I look upon a virgin?
2 [a]For what is the portion from God above,
And the heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous,
And disaster to the workers of iniquity?
4 Doth not he see my ways,
And number all my steps?
5 If I have walked with falsehood,
And 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 my heart walked after mine eyes,
And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands:
8 Then let me sow, and let another eat;
Yea, let [b]the produce of my field be rooted out.
9 If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman,
And I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door;
10 Then let my wife grind unto another,
And let others bow down upon her.
11 For that were a heinous crime;
Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
12 For it is a fire that consumeth unto [c]Destruction,
And would root out all mine increase.
13 If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant,
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 [d]the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof
18 (Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And her have I guided from my mother’s womb);
19 If I have seen any perish for want of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering;
20 If his loins have not blessed me,
And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
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 is a terror to me,
And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.
24 If I have made gold my hope,
And have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gotten much;
26 If I have beheld [e]the sun when it shined,
Or the moon walking in brightness,
27 And my heart hath been secretly enticed,
And [f]my mouth hath kissed my hand:
28 This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
For I should have denied the God that is above.
29 If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me,
Or lifted up myself when evil found him
30 (Yea, I have not suffered my [g]mouth to sin
By asking his life with a curse);
31 If the men of my tent have not said,
Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?
32 (The sojourner hath not lodged in the street;
But I have opened my doors to [h]the traveller);
33 If [i]like Adam I have covered my transgressions,
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!
(Lo, here is my [j]signature, let the Almighty answer me)
And that I had the [k]indictment which mine adversary hath written!
36 Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder;
I would bind it unto me as a crown:
37 I would declare unto him the number of my steps;
As a prince would I [l]go near unto him.
38 If my land crieth out against me,
And the furrows thereof weep together;
39 If I have eaten the [m]fruits thereof without money,
Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
40 Let [n]thistles grow instead of wheat,
And [o]cockle instead of barley.
The words of Job are ended.
Footnotes
- Job 31:2 Or, For what portion should I have of God . . . And what heritage etc.? Is there not calamity etc.?
- Job 31:8 Or, my offspring. Hebrew my produce.
- Job 31:12 Hebrew Abaddon. See 26:6.
- Job 31:16 Or, aught that the poor desired
- Job 31:26 Hebrew the light.
- Job 31:27 Hebrew my hand hath kissed my mouth.
- Job 31:30 Hebrew palate.
- Job 31:32 Hebrew the way.
- Job 31:33 Or, after the manner of men
- Job 31:35 Hebrew mark.
- Job 31:35 Hebrew book.
- Job 31:37 Or, present it to him
- Job 31:39 Hebrew strength.
- Job 31:40 Or, thorns
- Job 31:40 Or, noisome weeds
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