Job 31
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
how, then, could I look upon a virgin?(A)
2 What would be my portion from God above
and my heritage from the Almighty[a] on high?
3 Does not calamity befall the unrighteous
and disaster the workers of iniquity?
4 Does he not see my ways
and number all my steps?(B)
5 “If I have walked with falsehood,
and my foot has hurried to deceit—(C)
6 let me be weighed in a just balance,
and let God know my integrity!—(D)
7 if my step has turned aside from the way,
and my heart has followed my eyes,
and if any spot has clung to my hands,(E)
8 then let me sow and another eat,
and let what grows for me be rooted out.(F)
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman
and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,(G)
10 then let my wife grind for another,
and let other men kneel over her.(H)
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
that would be a criminal offense;(I)
12 for that would be a fire consuming down to Abaddon,
and it would burn to the root all my harvest.(J)
13 “If I have rejected the cause of my male or female slaves,
when they brought a complaint against me,(K)
14 what then shall I do when God rises up?
When he makes inquiry, what 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?(L)
16 “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail(M)
17 or have eaten my morsel alone
and the orphan has not eaten from it—(N)
18 for from my youth I reared the orphan[b] like a father,
and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow[c]—
19 if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing
or a poor person without covering,
20 whose loins have not blessed me,
and who was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;(O)
21 if I have raised my hand against the orphan
because I saw I had supporters at the gate;(P)
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.(Q)
23 For I was in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his majesty.(R)
24 “If I have made gold my trust
or called fine gold my confidence,(S)
25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great
or because my hand had gotten much,(T)
26 if I have looked at the sun[d] when it shone
or the moon moving in splendor,(U)
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
for I should have been false to God above.(V)
29 “If I have rejoiced at the ruin of those who hated me
or exulted when evil overtook them—(W)
30 I have not let my mouth sin
by asking for their lives with a curse—(X)
31 if those of my tent ever said,
‘O that we might be sated with his flesh!’[e]—(Y)
32 the stranger has not lodged in the street;
I have opened my doors to the traveler—(Z)
33 if I have concealed my transgressions as others do,[f]
by hiding my iniquity in my bosom,(AA)
34 because I stood in great fear of the multitude,
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I kept silence and did not go out of doors—(AB)
35 O that I had one to hear me!
(Here is my signature! Let the Almighty[g] answer me!)
O that I had the indictment written by my adversary!(AC)
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
I would bind it on me like a crown;
37 I would give him an account of all my steps;
like a prince I would approach him.(AD)
38 “If my land has cried out against me
and its furrows have wept together,(AE)
39 if I have eaten its yield without payment
and caused the death of its owners,(AF)
40 let thorns grow instead of wheat
and foul weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.(AG)
Job 31
International Standard Version
Job Asserts His Moral Innocence
31 “I made a covenant with my eyes;
how, then, can I focus my attention on a virgin?
2 What would I have[a] from God above,
what heritage from the Almighty on high,
3 if not calamity that is due the unjust,
and misfortune that is due those who practice iniquity?
4 He watches my life,
observing every one of my actions,[b] does he not?”
No Lies and Deception
5 “If I’ve lived my life in the company of vanity,
or run quickly to embrace deception,
6 let my righteousness be weighed in honest scales,
and God will make known my integrity.
7 If I have stepped away from the way,
or if my heart covets whatever my eyes see,
or if some other blemish clings to my hands,
8 what I’ve planted, let another eat
or let my crops be uprooted.”
No Adultery
9 “If my heart has been seduced by a woman
and I’ve laid in wait at my friend’s door,
10 then let my wife cook[c] for another person
and may someone else sleep with her,
11 because something as lascivious as that
is an iniquity that should be judged.
12 The fires of Abaddon[d] will burn,[e]
disrupting every part of my eternal reward.”[f]
No Abuse of Servants
13 “If I’ve refused to help my male and female servants
when they complain against me,
14 what will I do when God stands up to act?
When he asks the questions, how will I answer him?
15 The one who made me in the womb made them,[g] too, didn’t he?
Didn’t the same one prepare each of us in the womb?”
No Injustice on the Poor
16 “If I refused to grant the desire of the poor
or exhausted the eyes of the widow,
17 if I ate my meals by myself
without feeding orphans,
18 (even a poor man had grown up with me as if I were his father,
and even though I had guided the widow[h]
from the time I was born),
19 if I’ve observed someone who is about to die for lack of clothes
or if I have no clothing to give to the poor,
20 if he hadn’t thanked me from the bottom of his heart,[i]
if he had not been warmed by wool from my sheep,
21 if I’ve raised my hand against an orphan
when I thought I would against him in court,[j]
22 then let my arm[k] fall from its socket;
and may my arm be torn off at the shoulder.
23 For I’m terrified of what calamity God may have in store for me;
and I cannot endure his grandeur.”
No Trust in Wealth and Heavenly Bodies
24 “If I’ve put my confidence in gold,
if I’ve told gold, ‘You’re my security,’
25 if I’ve found joy in great wealth that I own,
if I’ve earned a lot with my own hands,
26 if I look at the sun[l] when it shines
or the moon as it rises in steady splendor,
27 so that in the depths of my deceived heart
I worshipped them with my mouth and hands,
28 this is also a sin that deserves to be judged,
since I would have tried to deceive[m] God above.”
No Rejoicing over the Plight of Adversary
29 “Have I rejoiced in the destruction of those who hate me,
or have I been happy that evil caught up with him?
30 No, I haven’t allowed my mouth to sin
by asking for his life[n] with a curse.
31 People in my household have said,
‘We cannot find anyone who has not been satisfied with his meat,’ haven’t they?
32 No stranger ever spent the night in the street,
because I opened my doors to travelers.”
No Secret Sins
33 “Have I covered my transgression like other people,
to conceal iniquity within myself?[o]
34 Have I feared large crowds?
Has my family’s contempt ever terrified me
so that I remained silent and wouldn’t go outside?”
Request for A Hearing
35 “Who will grant me a hearing?
Here’s my signature[p]—let the Almighty answer!
Since my adversary indicted me,
36 I’ll wear it on my shoulder,
or tie it on my head for a crown!
37 I’ll give an account for every step I’ve taken;
I’ll approach him confidently like a Commander-in-Chief.”[q]
No Abuse of the Land
38 “If my land were to cry out against me
or if all its furrows wept as one,
39 If I’ve consumed its produce[r] without paying for it
and snuffed out the life of its owners;
40 may thorns spring up instead of wheat,
and obnoxious weeds instead of barley.”
With this, Job’s discourse with his friends[s] is completed.
Footnotes
- Job 31:2 The Heb. lacks would one have
- Job 31:4 Lit. steps
- Job 31:10 Lit. grind
- Job 31:12 Or Destruction; i.e. the realm of eternal punishment in the afterlife
- Job 31:12 Lit. consume
- Job 31:12 Lit. my harvest
- Job 31:15 Lit. him
- Job 31:18 Lit. her
- Job 31:20 Lit. hadn’t blessed me from his loins
- Job 31:21 Lit. when I saw help for me at the gate
- Job 31:22 Lit. side
- Job 31:26 Lit. light
- Job 31:28 Or have denied
- Job 31:30 Lit. soul
- Job 31:33 Or bosom
- Job 31:35 Lit. seal
- Job 31:37 Lit. Nagid; i.e. a senior officer entrusted with dual roles of operational oversight and administrative authority
- Job 31:39 Lit. strength
- Job 31:40 The Heb. lacks with his friends
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