Job 31
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
31 I made a covenant with my eyes, that I would not so much as think upon a virgin.
2 For what part should God from above have in me, and what inheritance the Almighty from on high?
3 Is not destruction to the wicked, and aversion to them that work iniquity?
4 Doth not he consider my ways, and number all my steps?
5 If I have walked in vanity, and my foot hath made haste to deceit:
6 Let him weigh me in a just balance, and let God know my simplicity.
7 If my step hath turned out of the way, and if my heart hath followed my eyes, and if a spot hath cleaved to my hands:
8 Then let me sow and let another eat: and let my offspring be rooted out.
9 If my heart hath been deceived upon a woman, and if I have laid wait at my friend's door:
10 Let my wife be the harlot of another, and let other men lie with her.
11 For this is a heinous crime, and a most grievous iniquity.
12 It is a fire that devoureth even to destruction, and rooteth up all things that spring.
13 If I have despised to abide judgment with my manservant, or my maidservant, when they had any controversy against me:
14 For what shall I do when God shall rise to judge? and when he shall examine, what shall I answer him?
15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him also: and did not one and the same form me in the womb?
16 If I have denied to the poor what they desired, and have made the eyes of the widow wait:
17 If I have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof:
18 (For from my infancy mercy grew up with me: and it came out with me from my mother's womb:)
19 If I have despised him that was perishing for want of clothing, and the poor man that had no covering:
20 If his sides 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, even when I saw myself superior in the gate:
22 Let my shoulder fall from its joint, and let my arm with its bones be broken.
23 For I have always feared God as waves swelling over me, and his weight I was not able to bear.
24 If I have thought gold my strength, and have said to fine gold: My confidence:
25 If I have rejoiced over my great riches, and because my hand had gotten much.
26 If I beheld the sun when it shined, and the moon going in brightness:
27 And my heart in secret hath rejoiced, and I have kissed my hand with my mouth:
28 Which is a very great iniquity, and a denial against the most high God.
29 If I have been glad at the downfall of him that hated me, and have rejoiced that evil had found him.
30 For I have not given my mouth to sin, by wishing a curse to his soul.
31 If the men of my tabernacle have not said: Who will give us of his flesh that we may be filled?
32 The stranger did not stay without, my door was open to the traveller.
33 If as a man I have hid my sin, and have concealed my iniquity in my bosom.
34 If I have been afraid at a very great multitude, and the contempt of kinsmen hath terrified me: and I have not rather held my peace, and not gone out of the door.
35 Who would grant me a hearer, that the Almighty may hear my desire; and that he himself that judgeth would write a book,
36 That I may carry it on my shoulder, and put it about me as a crown?
37 At every step of mine I would pronounce it, and offer it as to a prince.
38 If my land cry against me, and with it the furrows thereof mourn:
39 If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, and have afflicted the soul of the tillers thereof:
40 Let thistles grow up to me instead of wheat, and thorns instead of barley.
Job 31
English Standard Version
Job's Final Appeal
31 “I have made a covenant with my (A)eyes;
how then could I gaze at a virgin?
2 What would be (B)my portion from God above
and (C)my heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
4 (D)Does not he see my ways
and (E)number all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood
and my foot has hastened to deceit;
6 (Let me be (F)weighed in a just balance,
and let God know my integrity!)
7 if my step has turned aside from the way
and (G)my heart has gone after my eyes,
and if any (H)spot has stuck to my hands,
8 then let me (I)sow, and another eat,
and let what grows for me[a] be rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
and I have (J)lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
10 then let my wife (K)grind for another,
and let others (L)bow down on her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
that would be an iniquity (M)to be punished by the judges;
12 for that would be a fire (N)that consumes as far as Abaddon,
and it would burn to the root all my increase.
13 “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,
when they brought a complaint against me,
14 what then shall I do when God rises up?
When he (O)makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?
15 Did (P)not he who made me in the womb make him?
And did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have (Q)withheld anything that the poor desired,
or have (R)caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone,
and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 (for from my youth the fatherless[b] grew up with me as with a father,
and from my mother's womb I guided the widow[c]),
19 if I have seen anyone (S)perish for (T)lack of clothing,
or the needy without (U)covering,
20 if his body has not (V)blessed me,[d]
and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against (W)the fatherless,
because I saw my help in (X)the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I was (Y)in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his (Z)majesty.
24 (AA)“If I have made gold my (AB)trust
or called (AC)fine gold my confidence,
25 if I have (AD)rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
or because (AE)my hand had found much,
26 (AF)if I have looked at the sun[e] when it shone,
or (AG)the moon moving in splendor,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28 this also would be (AH)an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
for I would have been false to God above.
29 “If I have (AI)rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
or exulted when evil overtook him
30 ((AJ)I have not let my mouth sin
by asking for his life with a curse),
31 if the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been filled with his (AK)meat?’
32 ((AL)the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
I have opened my doors to the traveler),
33 if I (AM)have concealed my transgressions (AN)as others do[f]
by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34 because I stood in great fear of (AO)the multitude,
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
(Here is my signature! Let the Almighty (AP)answer me!)
Oh, that I had (AQ)the indictment written by my adversary!
36 Surely I would carry it on my (AR)shoulder;
I would (AS)bind it on me as (AT)a crown;
37 I would give him an account of all my steps;
like a prince I would approach him.
38 “If my land has cried out against me
and its furrows have wept together,
39 (AU)if I have eaten its yield without payment
and made its owners (AV)breathe their last,
40 let (AW)thorns grow instead of wheat,
and foul weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
