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16 “If I have held back (A)the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of (B)the widow to fail,
17 Or have (C)eaten my morsel alone,
And (D)the orphan has not eaten from it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from the womb of my mother I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish (E)for lack of clothing,
Or that (F)the needy had no covering,
20 If his loins have not blessed me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have waved my hand against (G)the orphan
Because I saw my help (H)in the gate,
22 Let my shoulder fall from the [a]socket,
And my (I)arm be broken off [b]at the elbow.
23 For (J)disaster from God is a dread to me,
And because of (K)His exaltedness I can do nothing.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 31:22 Or back; lit shoulder
  2. Job 31:22 Lit from the bone of the upper arm

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[a]
        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,[b]
    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,[c]
22 then let my arm[d] 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.”

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Footnotes

  1. Job 31:18 Lit. her
  2. Job 31:20 Lit. hadn’t blessed me from his loins
  3. Job 31:21 Lit. when I saw help for me at the gate
  4. Job 31:22 Lit. side