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16 “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired
    or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail(A)
17 or have eaten my morsel alone
    and the orphan has not eaten from it—(B)
18 for from my youth I reared the orphan[a] like a father,
    and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow[b]
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;(C)
21 if I have raised my hand against the orphan
    because I saw I had supporters at the gate;(D)
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
    and let my arm be broken from its socket.(E)
23 For I was in terror of calamity from God,
    and I could not have faced his majesty.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 31.18 Heb him
  2. 31.18 Heb her

16 “If I have withheld the desire of the poor from them,
or[a] I have caused the widow’s eyes to fail,
17 or I have eaten my morsel alone,[b]
and the orphan has not eaten from it
18 (for from my childhood he[c] grew up with[d] me like a father,
and from my mother’s womb I guided her[e]),
19 if I have seen the one who perishes because of no clothing
or[f] that there is no covering for the poor,
20 if his loins have not blessed me,
or[g] by means of my sheep’s fleece he has warmed himself,
21 if I have raised my hand against an orphan
because I saw my supporters at the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 Indeed, the disaster from God was a dread for me,
and I was powerless[h] because of his majesty.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 31:16 Hebrew “and”
  2. Job 31:17 Literally “to alone me”
  3. Job 31:18 Probably referring to “the orphan”
  4. Job 31:18 Literally “reared”
  5. Job 31:18 Probably referring to “the widow”
  6. Job 31:19 Hebrew “and”
  7. Job 31:20 Hebrew “and”
  8. Job 31:23 Literally “I was not able”