Job 31

Legacy Standard Bible

31 “I have cut a covenant with my ^(A)eyes;
How then could I gaze 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 unjust
And misfortune to ^(D)those who work iniquity?
⁴ Does He not ^(E)see my ways
And ^(F)number all my steps?

⁵ “If I have ^(G)walked with worthlessness,
And my foot has hastened after deceit,
⁶ Let Him ^(H)weigh me with ^[a]just 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 lied in wait at my neighbor’s doorway,
¹⁰ May my wife ^(O)grind for another,
And let ^(P)others ^[d]kneel down over her.
¹¹ For that would be ^(Q)lewdness;
Moreover, it would be ^(R)an iniquity punishable by judges.
¹² For it would be ^(S)fire that consumes to ^[e](T)Abaddon,
And would ^(U)uproot all my ^[f]produce.

¹³ “If I have ^(V)rejected the justice of my male or female ^[g]slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
¹⁴ What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, with what will I respond to Him?
¹⁵ Did not ^(W)He who made me in the womb make him,
And the same one fashion us in the womb?

¹⁶ “If I have held back ^(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 eaten from it
¹⁸ (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from the womb of my mother 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 loins have not blessed me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
²¹ If I have waved my hand against ^(AD)the orphan
Because I saw my help ^(AE)in the gate,
²² Let my shoulder fall from the ^[h]socket,
And my ^(AF)arm be broken off ^[i]at the elbow.
²³ For ^(AG)disaster from God is a dread to me,
And because of ^(AH)His exaltedness 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)been glad because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had found so much,
²⁶ If I have ^(AK)looked at the ^[j]sun when it shone
Or the moon going in splendor,
²⁷ And my heart became secretly enticed,
And my hand ^[k]threw a kiss from my mouth,
²⁸ That too would have been ^(AL)an iniquity calling for ^[l]judgment,
For I would have ^(AM)denied God above.

²⁹ “If I ^(AN)have been glad at the upheaval of the one who hated me,
Or ^[m]exulted when evil found him—
³⁰ But ^(AO)I have not given over my ^[n]mouth to sin
By asking for his life in ^(AP)a curse—
³¹ If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who can ^[o]find one who has not been ^(AQ)satisfied with his meat’—
³² The sojourner has not lodged outside,
For I have opened my doors to the ^[p]traveler—
³³ If I have ^(AR)covered my transgressions like ^[q]Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
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!
Behold, here is my ^[r]signature;
^(AT)Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my ^(AU)accuser has written,
³⁶ Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
I would bind it to myself like a crown.
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 ^[s]fruit without money,
Or have ^(AZ)caused ^[t]its owners to lose their lives,
⁴⁰ Let ^(BA)briars come out instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”