Job Defends His Righteousness

31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
Why then should I [a]look upon a (A)young woman?
For what is the (B)allotment of God from above,
And the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Is it not destruction for the wicked,
And disaster for the workers of iniquity?
(C)Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?

“If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,
[b]Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my (D)integrity.
If my step has turned from the way,
Or (E)my heart walked after my eyes,
Or if any spot adheres to my hands,
Then (F)let me sow, and another eat;
Yes, let my harvest be [c]rooted out.

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 Then let my wife grind for (G)another,
And let others bow down over her.
11 For that would be wickedness;
Yes, (H)it would be iniquity deserving of judgment.
12 For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction,
And would root out all my increase.

13 “If I have (I)despised the cause of my male or female servant
When they complained against me,
14 What then shall I do when (J)God rises up?
When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
15 (K)Did not He who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or caused the eyes of the widow to (L)fail,
17 Or eaten my morsel by myself,
So that the fatherless could not eat of it
18 (But from my youth I reared him as a father,
And from my mother’s womb I guided [d]the widow);
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or any poor man without covering;
20 If his [e]heart has not (M)blessed me,
And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
21 If I have raised my hand (N)against the fatherless,
When I saw I had help in the gate;
22 Then let my arm fall from my shoulder,
Let my arm be torn from the socket.
23 For (O)destruction from God is a terror to me,
And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.

24 “If(P) I have made gold my hope,
Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
25 (Q)If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had gained much;
26 (R)If I have observed the [f]sun when it shines,
Or the moon moving in brightness,
27 So that my heart has been secretly enticed,
And my mouth has kissed my hand;
28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,
For I would have denied God who is above.

29 “If(S) I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,
Or lifted myself up when evil found him
30 (T)(Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for a curse on his [g]soul);
31 If the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’
32 (U)(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street,
For I have opened my doors to the [h]traveler);
33 If I have covered my transgressions (V)as[i] Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,
34 Because I feared the great (W)multitude,
And dreaded the contempt of families,
So that I kept silence
And did not go out of the door—
35 (X)Oh, that I had one to hear me!
Here is my mark.
Oh, (Y)that the Almighty would answer me,
That my [j]Prosecutor 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 weep together;
39 If (Z)I have eaten its [k]fruit without money,
Or (AA)caused its owners to lose their lives;
40 Then let (AB)thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.

Footnotes

  1. Job 31:1 look intently or gaze
  2. Job 31:6 Lit. Let Him weigh me
  3. Job 31:8 uprooted
  4. Job 31:18 Lit. her
  5. Job 31:20 Lit. loins
  6. Job 31:26 Lit. light
  7. Job 31:30 Or life
  8. Job 31:32 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT road
  9. Job 31:33 Or as men do
  10. Job 31:35 Lit. Accuser
  11. Job 31:39 Lit. strength

Job Asserts His Integrity

31 “I have made a covenant with my (A)eyes;
How then could I look 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 criminal,
And misfortune to (D)those who practice injustice?
Does He not (E)see my ways,
And (F)count all my steps?

“If I have (G)walked with deception,
And my foot has hurried after deceit,
Let Him (H)weigh me with [a]accurate 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 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

  1. Job 31:6 Lit just
  2. Job 31:7 Lit walked after
  3. Job 31:8 Or offspring
  4. Job 31:10 I.e., have sexual relations with her
  5. Job 31:12 I.e., the place of destruction
  6. Job 31:12 Or yield
  7. Job 31:17 Lit eaten from it
  8. Job 31:18 Lit my mother’s womb
  9. Job 31:20 Lit blessed; i.e., for clothing
  10. Job 31:21 Lit my help
  11. Job 31:22 Lit neck-joint
  12. Job 31:22 Lit from the bone of the upper arm
  13. Job 31:26 Lit light
  14. Job 31:27 Lit kissed my mouth
  15. Job 31:28 Lit judges
  16. Job 31:30 Lit And
  17. Job 31:30 Lit given my palate
  18. Job 31:31 Lit give
  19. Job 31:32 MT way
  20. Job 31:35 Lit mark
  21. Job 31:39 Lit strength
  22. Job 31:39 Lit the soul of its owners to expire
  23. Job 31:40 Lit come forth

31 “Ipinangako ko sa aking sarili na hinding-hindi ako titingin nang may pagnanasa sa isang dalaga. Sapagkat anong igaganti ng Makapangyarihang Dios na nasa langit sa mga ginagawa ng tao? Hindi baʼt kapahamakan at kasawian para sa mga gumagawa ng kasamaan? Alam ng Dios ang lahat ng aking ginagawa. Kung nagsinungaling man ako at nandaya, hahayaan kong hatulan ako ng Dios, dahil siya ang nakakaalam kung nagkasala nga ako. Kung hindi ako sumunod sa tamang daan, o kung sinunod ko ang nais ng aking mata, at dinungisan ko ang aking sarili, masira nawa ang aking mga pananim o di kayaʼy pakinabangan ng iba. Kung naakit ako ng ibang babae o napaibig sa asawa ng aking kapwa, 10 kunin nawa at sipingan ng ibang lalaki ang asawa ko. 11 Sapagkat ang pangangalunya ay kasalanang nakakahiya, at dapat na parusahan ang taong ganyan ang ginagawa. 12 Iyan ay parang mapamuksang apoy na uubos sa lahat ng aking kabuhayan.

13 “Kung hindi ko pinahalagahan ang karapatan ng aking alipin nang dumaing sila sa akin, 14 anong gagawin ko kung hatulan ako ng Dios? Anong isasagot ko kung tanungin niya ako? 15 Hindi baʼt ang Dios na lumikha sa akin ang siya ring Dios na lumikha sa aking mga alipin?

16 “Kung hindi ako tumulong sa mga dukha at sa mga biyuda na nahihirapan, 17 at kung naging madamot ako sa mga ulila, parusahan nawa ako ng Dios. 18 Pero mula pa noong kabataan ko, tumutulong na ako sa mga ulila, at sa buong buhay ko hindi ko pinabayaan ang mga biyuda. 19 Kapag nakakita ako ng taong nahihirapan sa lamig dahil kapos siya sa damit, 20 binibigyan ko siya ng damit pangginaw na yari sa balahibo ng aking mga tupa. At buong puso siyang nagpapasalamat sa akin. 21 Kung pinagbuhatan ko ng kamay ang mga ulila, dahil alam kong malakas ako sa hukuman, 22 maputol sana ang mga braso ko. 23 Hindi ko magagawa ang mga bagay na iyan dahil natatakot ako sa parusa at kapangyarihan ng Dios.

24 “Hindi ako nagtiwala sa aking kayamanan o nag-isip man na magbibigay ito sa akin ng katiyakan. 25 Hindi ko ipinagyabang ang kayamanan ko at lahat ng aking ari-arian. 26 Hindi ako sumamba sa araw na nagbibigay ng liwanag o sa buwan na kumikinang. 27 Ang puso koʼy hindi nahikayat na sumamba sa mga ito. 28 Kung nagkasala ako sa paggawa ng mga ito, dapat akong parusahan dahil nagtaksil ako sa Dios na nasa langit.

29 “Hindi ko ikinatuwa ang kapahamakan ng aking kaaway o ang pagsapit sa kanila ng kahirapan. 30 Hindi ako nagkasala sa pamamagitan ng pagsumpa sa kanila. 31 Alam ng aking mga kasambahay na pinapakain ko ang lahat kahit na ang mga dayuhan. 32 Hindi ko pinabayaang matulog kahit saan ang mga dayuhan, dahil palaging bukas ang pintuan ng aking tahanan para sa kanila. 33 Hindi ko itinatago ang aking kasalanan katulad ng ginagawa ng iba. 34 Hindi ako tumahimik o nagtago dahil takot ako sa anumang sasabihin ng mga tao.

35 “Kung mayroon lang sanang makikinig ng panig ko, nakahanda akong lumagda para patunayan na wala akong kasalanan. Kung may reklamo ang Dios na Makapangyarihan laban sa akin, ipapakiusap ko sa kanyang sabihin niya ito sa akin o kayaʼy isulat na lang. 36 At ikakabit ko ito sa aking balikat o sa ulo ko na parang korona para ipakita sa lahat na nakahanda akong humarap sa mga usapin. 37 Sasabihin ko sa Dios ang lahat ng aking ginawa. Haharap ako sa kanya katulad ng pinuno na hindi nahihiya.

38 “Kung inaabuso ko ang aking lupain, o kinamkam ko ito sa iba,[a] 39 o kung pinasama ko ang loob ng mga manggagawa sa aking lupain dahil kinuha ko ang kanilang ani ng walang bayad, 40 tumubo nawa sa lupain ko ang mga matitinik na halaman at mga damo sa halip na trigo at sebada.”

Dito natapos ang mga sinabi ni Job.

Footnotes

  1. 31:38 Kung … iba: sa literal, Kung magrereklamo ang lupain ko laban sa akin at inaararo ito na basa sa luha.