Job 31
New American Standard Bible
Job Asserts His Integrity
31 “I have made a covenant with my (A)eyes;
How then could I look 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 criminal,
And misfortune to (D)those who practice injustice?
4 Does He not (E)see my ways,
And (F)count all my steps?
5 “If I have (G)walked with deception,
And my foot has hurried after deceit,
6 Let Him (H)weigh me with [a]accurate 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 lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
10 May my wife (O)grind grain for another,
And let (P)others [d]kneel down over her.
11 For that would be a (Q)lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be (R)wrongdoing punishable by judges.
12 For it would be (S)fire that consumes to [e](T)Abaddon,
And would (U)uproot all my [f]increase.
13 “If I have (V)rejected the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
14 What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, how am I to answer Him?
15 Did (W)He who made me in the womb not make him,
And the same one create us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept (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 [g]shared it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from [h]my infancy 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 waist has not [i]thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against (AD)the orphan,
Because I saw [j]I had support (AE)in the gate,
22 May my shoulder fall from its [k]socket,
And my (AF)arm be broken off [l]at the elbow.
23 For (AG)disaster from God is a terror to me,
And because of (AH)His majesty 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)gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had obtained so much;
26 If I have (AK)looked at the [m]sun when it shone,
Or the moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart was secretly enticed,
And my hand [n]threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 That too would have been (AL)a guilty deed calling for [o]judgment,
For I would have (AM)denied God above.
29 “Have I (AN)rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy,
Or become excited when evil found him?
30 [p]No, (AO)I have not [q]allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in (AP)a curse.
31 Have the people of my tent not said,
‘Who can [r]find one who has not been (AQ)satisfied with his meat’?
32 The stranger has not spent the night outside,
For I have opened my doors to the [s]traveler.
33 Have I (AR)covered my wrongdoings like a man,
By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,
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!
Here is my [t]signature;
(AT)Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my (AU)adversary has written,
36 I would certainly carry it on my shoulder,
I would tie it to myself like a garland.
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 [u]fruit without money,
Or have (AZ)caused [v]its owners to lose their lives,
40 May the (BA)thorn-bush [w]grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Footnotes
- Job 31:6 Lit just
- Job 31:7 Lit walked after
- Job 31:8 Or offspring
- Job 31:10 I.e., have sexual relations with her
- Job 31:12 I.e., the place of destruction
- Job 31:12 Or yield
- Job 31:17 Lit eaten from it
- Job 31:18 Lit my mother’s womb
- Job 31:20 Lit blessed; i.e., for clothing
- Job 31:21 Lit my help
- Job 31:22 Lit neck-joint
- Job 31:22 Lit from the bone of the upper arm
- Job 31:26 Lit light
- Job 31:27 Lit kissed my mouth
- Job 31:28 Lit judges
- Job 31:30 Lit And
- Job 31:30 Lit given my palate
- Job 31:31 Lit give
- Job 31:32 MT way
- Job 31:35 Lit mark
- Job 31:39 Lit strength
- Job 31:39 Lit the soul of its owners to expire
- Job 31:40 Lit come forth
Job 31
Common English Bible
Lust
31 I’ve made a covenant with my eyes;
how could I look at a virgin?
2 What is God’s portion for me[a] from above,
the Almighty’s inheritance from on high?
3 Isn’t it disaster for the wicked,
destruction for workers of iniquity?
4 Doesn’t he see my ways,
count all my steps?
Deceit
5 If I have walked with frauds
or my feet have hurried to deceit,
6 let him weigh me on accurate scales;
let God know my integrity.
7 If my step has turned from the way,
if my heart has followed my eyes
or a blemish has clung to my hands,
8 then let me sow and another reap;
let my offspring be uprooted.
Adultery
9 If my heart has been drawn to a woman
and I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind for another
and others kneel over her;
11 for that’s a crime;
it’s a punishable offense;
12 indeed, it’s a fire that consumes to the underworld,[b]
uprooting all my harvest.
Slaves
13 If I’ve rejected the just cause of my male or female servant
when they contended with me,
14 what could I do when God rises;
when he requires an account, what could I answer?
15 Didn’t the one who made me in the belly make them;
didn’t the same one fashion us in the womb?
The defenseless
16 If I have denied what the poor wanted,
made a widow’s eyes tired,
17 eaten my morsel alone,
and not shared any with an orphan
(18 for from my youth I raised the orphan as a father,
and from my mother’s womb I led the widow);[c]
19 if I ever saw someone dying without clothes, the needy naked;
20 if they haven’t blessed me fervently,[d]
or if they weren’t warmed by the wool from my sheep;
21 if I have lifted my hand against the orphans,
when I saw that I had help in the city gate—
22 may my arm fall from my shoulder,
my forearm be broken at the elbow—
23 for God’s calamity is terror to me;
I couldn’t endure his splendor.
False worship
24 If I’ve made gold my trust,
said to fine gold: “My security!”
25 if I’ve rejoiced because my wealth was great,
when my hand found plenty;
26 if I’ve looked at the sun when it shone,
the moon, splendid as it moved;
27 and my mind has been secretly enticed,
and threw a kiss with my hand,
28 that also is a punishable offense,
because I would then be disloyal to God above.
Others' misfortune
29 If I have rejoiced over my foes’ ruin
or was excited when evil found them,
30 I didn’t let my mouth sin
by asking for their life with a curse.
31 Surely those in my tent never said:
“Who has been filled by Job’s food?”
32 A stranger didn’t spend the night in the street;
I opened my doors to the road.
Concealing sin
33 If I have hidden my transgressions like Adam,[e]
concealing my offenses inside me
34 because I feared the large crowd;
the clan’s contempt frightened me;
I was quiet and didn’t venture outside.
Sealing the solemn pledge
35 Oh, that I had someone to hear me!
Here’s my signature;[f]
let the Almighty respond,
and let my accuser write an indictment.
36 Surely I would bear it on my shoulder,
tie it around me like a wreath.
37 I would give him an account of my steps,
approach him like a prince.
Abuse of the land
38 If my land has cried out against me,
its rows wept together;
39 if I have eaten its yield without payment
and caused its owners grief,
40 may briars grow instead of wheat,
poisonous weeds instead of barley.
Job’s words are complete.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible