Job 31
Modern English Version
31 “I made a covenant with my eyes;
why then should I look upon a young woman?
2 For what portion of God is there from above?
And what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Does not destruction belong to the wicked,
and calamity to the workers of iniquity?
4 Does He not see my ways,
and count all my steps?
5 “If I have walked in vanity,
or if my foot has hurried after deceit,
6 let me be weighed in an even balance
that God may know my integrity.
7 If my step has turned out of the path,
and my heart has gone after my eyes,
and if any spot has clung to my hands,
8 then let me sow, but let another eat;
yes, let my offspring be rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been deceived by a woman,
or if I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,
10 then let my wife grind for another,
and let others bow down over her.
11 For this is a heinous crime;
yes, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
12 For it is a fire that consumes to destruction
and would root out all my increase.
13 “If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant
when they complained against me,
14 what then will I do when God rises up?
And when He visits, what will I answer Him?
15 Did not He who made me in the womb make him?
And did not the same One fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel by myself,
so that the fatherless could not eat of it
18 (but from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father,
and I have guided the widow from my mother’s womb);
19 if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
or any poor without covering;
20 if his body has not blessed me,
and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
when I saw I had help in the gate;
22 then let my arm fall from my shoulder blade,
and my arm be broken from the bone.
23 For destruction from God is a terror to me,
and because of His highness I cannot endure.
24 “If I have made gold my hope,
or have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
25 if I rejoiced because my wealth was great,
and because my hand had gained much;
26 if I saw the sun when it shined,
or the moon moving in brightness;
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
or my mouth has kissed my hand;
28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judge,
for I would have denied the God who is above.
29 “If I rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
or lifted up myself when disaster found him
30 (nor have I allowed my mouth to sin
by wishing for a curse on his soul);
31 if the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there who has not been satisfied with his meat?’
32 (the stranger has not lodged in the street,
but I opened my doors to the traveler);
33 if I covered my transgressions as any man,
by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34 did I fear a great multitude,
or did the contempt of families terrify me,
so that I kept silence, and did not go out of the door?
35 “Oh, that one would hear me!
Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me,
and that the One who contends against me had written a book!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder
and bind it on me like a crown.
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
like a prince I would approach Him.
38 “If my land cries out against me,
and its furrows also weep together;
39 if I have eaten its fruit without money,
or have caused its owners to lose their life;
40 let thistles grow instead of wheat,
and weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Job 31
21st Century King James Version
31 “I made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid?
2 For what portion from God is there from above, and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is not destruction for the wicked, and a strange punishment for the workers of iniquity?
4 Doth not He see my ways, and count all my steps?
5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hastened 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 mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands,
8 then let me sow and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.
9 “If mine heart has been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,
10 then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down upon her.
11 For this is a heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.
13 “If I have despised the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant 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 the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
17 or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof
18 (for from my youth he was brought up with me as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb);
19 if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;
20 if his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate”
22 then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of His highness I could not endure.
24 “If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, ‘Thou art my confidence’;
25 if I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;
26 if I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness,
27 and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand—
28 this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge, for I should have denied the God that is above.
29 “If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him,
30 neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.
31 If the men of my tent said not, ‘Oh that we had of his flesh! We cannot be satisfied’.
32 The stranger did not lodge in the street, but I opened my doors to the traveler.
33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,
34 did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence and went not out of the door?
35 Oh, that One would hear me! Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book!
36 Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.
37 I would declare unto Him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto Him.
38 “If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain,
39 if I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life,
40 let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.