Job Asserts His Integrity
31 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
How then could I look at a virgin?
2 And what is the portion of God from above,
Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is it not disaster to the criminal,
And misfortune to those who practice injustice?
4 Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with deception,
And my foot has hurried after deceit,
6 Let Him weigh me with [a]accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.
7 If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart [b]followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me sow and another eat,
And let my [c]crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
10 May my wife grind grain for another,
And let others [d]kneel down over her.
11 For that would be a lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be wrongdoing punishable by judges.
12 For it would be fire that consumes to [e]Abaddon,
And would uproot all my [f]increase.
13 “If I have 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 He who made me in the womb not make him,
And the same one create us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And 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 for lack of clothing,
Or that 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 the orphan,
Because I saw [j]I had support in the gate,
22 May my shoulder fall from its [k]socket,
And my arm be broken off [l]at the elbow.
23 For disaster from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty I can do nothing.
24 “If I have put my confidence in gold,
And called fine gold my trust,
25 If I have gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had obtained so much;
26 If I have 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 a guilty deed calling for [o]judgment,
For I would have denied God above.
29 “Have I rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy,
Or become excited when evil found him?
30 [p]No, I have not [q]allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in a curse.
31 Have the people of my tent not said,
‘Who can [r]find one who has not been 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 covered my wrongdoings like a man,
By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,
34 Because I 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;
Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my 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 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 I have eaten its [u]fruit without money,
Or have caused [v]its owners to lose their lives,
40 May the thorn-bush [w]grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Footnotes
- Job 31:6 Lit just
- Job 31:7 Lit walked after
- Job 31:8 Or offspring
- Job 31:10 I.e., have sexual relations with her
- Job 31:12 I.e., the place of destruction
- Job 31:12 Or yield
- Job 31:17 Lit eaten from it
- Job 31:18 Lit my mother’s womb
- Job 31:20 Lit blessed; i.e., for clothing
- Job 31:21 Lit my help
- Job 31:22 Lit neck-joint
- Job 31:22 Lit from the bone of the upper arm
- Job 31:26 Lit light
- Job 31:27 Lit kissed my mouth
- Job 31:28 Lit judges
- Job 31:30 Lit And
- Job 31:30 Lit given my palate
- Job 31:31 Lit give
- Job 31:32 MT way
- Job 31:35 Lit mark
- Job 31:39 Lit strength
- Job 31:39 Lit the soul of its owners to expire
- Job 31:40 Lit come forth