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31 “I have cut a covenant with my (A)eyes;
How then could I gaze at a virgin?
And what is (B)the portion of God from above
Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Is it not (C)disaster to the unjust
And misfortune to (D)those who work iniquity?
Does He not (E)see my ways
And (F)number all my steps?

“If I have (G)walked with worthlessness,
And my foot has hastened after deceit,
Let Him (H)weigh me with [a]just scales,
And let God know (I)my integrity.
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,
Let me (L)sow and another eat,
And let my [c](M)crops be uprooted.

“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

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)

13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,(AB)
    whether male or female,
    when they had a grievance against me,(AC)
14 what will I do when God confronts me?(AD)
    What will I answer when called to account?(AE)
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?(AF)
    Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?(AG)

16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor(AH)
    or let the eyes of the widow(AI) grow weary,(AJ)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless(AK)
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow(AL)
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,(AM)
    or the needy(AN) without garments,
20 and their hearts did not bless me(AO)
    for warming them with the fleece(AP) from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,(AQ)
    knowing that I had influence in court,(AR)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.(AS)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,(AT)
    and for fear of his splendor(AU) I could not do such things.(AV)

24 “If I have put my trust in gold(AW)
    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’(AX)
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,(AY)
    the fortune my hands had gained,(AZ)
26 if I have regarded the sun(BA) in its radiance
    or the moon(BB) moving in splendor,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed(BC)
    and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,(BD)
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,(BE)
    for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.(BF)

29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune(BG)
    or gloated over the trouble that came to him(BH)
30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin
    by invoking a curse against their life(BI)
31 if those of my household have never said,
    ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’(BJ)
32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
    for my door was always open to the traveler(BK)
33 if I have concealed(BL) my sin as people do,[b]
    by hiding(BM) my guilt in my heart
34 because I so feared the crowd(BN)
    and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
    that I kept silent(BO) and would not go outside—

35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!(BP)
    I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
    let my accuser(BQ) put his indictment in writing.
36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,(BR)
    I would put it on like a crown.(BS)
37 I would give him an account of my every step;(BT)
    I would present it to him as to a ruler.(BU))—

38 “if my land cries out against me(BV)
    and all its furrows are wet(BW) with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment(BX)
    or broken the spirit of its tenants,(BY)
40 then let briers(BZ) come up instead of wheat
    and stinkweed(CA) instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.(CB)

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:12 Hebrew Abaddon
  2. Job 31:33 Or as Adam did