Job's Final Appeal

31 “I have made a covenant with my (A)eyes;
    how then could I gaze at a virgin?
What would be (B)my portion from God above
    and (C)my heritage from the Almighty on high?
Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
    and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
(D)Does not he see my ways
    and (E)number all my steps?

“If I have walked with falsehood
    and my foot has hastened to deceit;
(Let me be (F)weighed in a just balance,
    and let God know my integrity!)
if my step has turned aside from the way
    and (G)my heart has gone after my eyes,
    and if any (H)spot has stuck to my hands,
then let me (I)sow, and another eat,
    and let what grows for me[a] be rooted out.

“If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
    and I have (J)lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
10 then let my wife (K)grind for another,
    and let others (L)bow down on her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
    that would be an iniquity (M)to be punished by the judges;
12 for that would be a fire (N)that consumes as far as Abaddon,
    and it would burn to the root all my increase.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 31:8 Or let my descendants

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)

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Footnotes

  1. Job 31:12 Hebrew Abaddon