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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.”

The words of Job are ended.

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:6 Lit righteous; Job 8:3, 6; 29:14
  2. Job 31:7 Lit walked after
  3. Job 31:8 Or offspring
  4. Job 31:10 Sexual relations
  5. Job 31:12 Lit the realm of destruction
  6. Job 31:12 Or yield
  7. Job 31:13 Or servants, cf. Job 1:3
  8. Job 31:22 Or back; lit shoulder
  9. Job 31:22 Lit from the bone of the upper arm
  10. Job 31:26 Lit light
  11. Job 31:27 Lit kissed my mouth
  12. Job 31:28 Lit judges
  13. Job 31:29 Lit lifted myself up
  14. Job 31:30 Lit palate
  15. Job 31:31 Lit give
  16. Job 31:32 M.T. way
  17. Job 31:33 Or mankind
  18. Job 31:35 Lit mark
  19. Job 31:39 Lit strength
  20. Job 31:39 Lit the soul of its owners to expire
Close LEB

Job 31
Lexham English Bible

Job’s Final Defense Continued

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes,
so[a] how could I look closely upon a virgin?
2 And what is the portion of God from above
or[b] the heritage of Shaddai from on high?
3 Is not disaster for the evil one
and ruin for the workers of mischief?
4 Does he not see my ways
and count all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falseness,
and my foot has hastened to deceit,
6 let him weigh me in the balance of justice,
and let God know my blamelessness.
7 If my steps have turned aside from the way,
and my heart has walked after my eyes,
and my hand has clung to a spot,
8 let me sow, and let another eat,
and let my crops be rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
and at my neighbor’s doorway I have lain in wait,
10 let my wife grind for another,
and let other men kneel over her,
11 for that is a shameful act,
and that is a criminal offense.[c]
12 Indeed, that is a fire that will consume up to Abaddon,
and it would uproot all my crop.
13 “If I have rejected my male or[d] female slave’s case
when their complaint was against me,
14 then[e] what shall I do when God rises up?
And when he enquires, how shall I answer him?
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?
And did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have withheld the desire of the poor from them,
or[f] I have caused the widow’s eyes to fail,
17 or I have eaten my morsel alone,[g]
and the orphan has not eaten from it
18 (for from my childhood he[h] grew up with[i] me like a father,
and from my mother’s womb I guided her[j]),
19 if I have seen the one who perishes because of no clothing
or[k] that there is no covering for the poor,
20 if his loins have not blessed me,
or[l] by means of my sheep’s fleece he has warmed himself,
21 if I have raised my hand against an orphan
because I saw my supporters at the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 Indeed, the disaster from God was a dread for me,
and I was powerless[m] because of his majesty.
24 “If I have made gold my trust,
or[n] I have called fine gold my security,
25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great
or[o] because my hand found a fortune,
26 if I looked at the sun when it shone
or[p] at the moon moving in splendor,
27 and I was secretly enticed,[q]
and my hand threw them a kiss,[r]
28 this also is an iniquity to be judged,
for I have deceived God above.
29 “If I have rejoiced at the ruin of the one who hated me
or[s] have exulted when evil overtook him—
30 no,[t] I have not allowed my mouth to sin,
to ask his life with a curse.
31 Have the people of my tent not said,[u]
‘O that[v] someone[w] had not been satisfied with his meat’?
32 An alien has not lodged in the street;
I have opened my door to the traveler.
33 Have I concealed[x] my transgressions as other human beings
to hide my iniquity in my bosom
34 because I dreaded the great multitude,
and the contempt of clans terrified me,
so that I kept quiet, I did not go out of the doorway?
35 O that[y] I had[z] someone hearing me!
Here is my signature;
let Shaddai answer me!
As for[aa] the written communication that my adversary[ab] has written,
36 I would surely[ac] carry it on my shoulder;
I would bind it on me like a crown.
37 I would give him an account of my steps;
I would approach him like a noble.
38 If my land has cried out against me,
and its furrows have wept together,
39 if I have eaten its yield without payment,
or[ad] I have caused the breath of its owners to die,
40 let thorns grow in place of wheat
and noxious weeds in place of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:1 Hebrew “and”
  2. Job 31:2 Hebrew “and”
  3. Job 31:11 Literally “an iniquity of judges”
  4. Job 31:13 Hebrew “and”
  5. Job 31:14 Hebrew “and”
  6. Job 31:16 Hebrew “and”
  7. Job 31:17 Literally “to alone me”
  8. Job 31:18 Probably referring to “the orphan”
  9. Job 31:18 Literally “reared”
  10. Job 31:18 Probably referring to “the widow”
  11. Job 31:19 Hebrew “and”
  12. Job 31:20 Hebrew “and”
  13. Job 31:23 Literally “I was not able”
  14. Job 31:24 Hebrew “and”
  15. Job 31:25 Hebrew “and”
  16. Job 31:26 Hebrew “and”
  17. Job 31:27 Literally “it was gullible in the secrecy of my heart”
  18. Job 31:27 Literally “my hand kissed for my mouth”
  19. Job 31:29 Hebrew “and”
  20. Job 31:30 Hebrew “and”
  21. Job 31:31 Literally “If the people of my tent have not said”
  22. Job 31:31 Literally “who shall give”
  23. Job 31:31 Or “he”
  24. Job 31:33 Literally “If I have concealed”
  25. Job 31:35 Literally “Who shall give”
  26. Job 31:35 Literally “for me”
  27. Job 31:35 Hebrew “And,” or “But”
  28. Job 31:35 Literally “the man of my indictment”
  29. Job 31:36 Literally “if not”
  30. Job 31:39 Hebrew “and”
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Job 30
Job 32
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