Job 31

1I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

2For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

3Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

4Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

5If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

6Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.footnote a

7If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

8Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

9If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;

10Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

11For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

12For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

14What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

15Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?footnote b

16If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

18(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother’s womb;)footnote c

19If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

20If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

22Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.footnote d

23For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

24If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

25If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;footnote e

26If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;footnote ffootnote g

27And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:footnote h

28This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

29If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

30Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.footnote i

31If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

32The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.footnote j

33If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:footnote k

34Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

35Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.footnote l

36Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

37I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

38If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;footnote m

39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:footnote nfootnote o

40Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.footnote p

Job’s Final Appeal

1“I have made a covenant with my eyes.How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin? 2For what is the allotment of God from above,or the heritage from the Almighty on high? 3Does not disaster come to the unjustand calamity to the workers of iniquity? 4Does He not see my waysand count my every step?

5If I have walked in falsehoodor my foot has rushed to deceit, 6let God weigh me with honest scales,that He may know my integrity. 7If my steps have turned from the path,if my heart has followed my eyes,or if impurity has stuck to my hands, 8then may another eat what I have sown,and may my crops be uprooted.

9If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife,or I have lurked at his door, 10then may my own wife grind grain for another,and may other men sleep with her. 11For that would be a heinous crime,an iniquity to be judged. 12For it is a fire that burns down to Abaddon;footnote ait would root out my entire harvest.

13If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservantwhen they made a complaint against me, 14what will I do when God rises to judge?How will I answer when called to account? 15Did not He who made me in the womb also make them?Did not the same One form us in the womb?

16If I have denied the desires of the pooror allowed the widow’s eyes to fail, 17if I have eaten my morsel alone,not sharing it with the fatherless— 18though from my youth I reared him as would a father,and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow— 19if I have seen one perish for lack of clothing,or a needy man without a cloak, 20if his heart has not blessed mefootnote bfor warming him with the fleece of my sheep, 21if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherlessbecause I saw that I had support in the gate, 22then may my arm fall from my shoulderand be torn from its socket. 23For calamity from God terrifies me,and His splendor I cannot overpower.

24If I have put my trust in goldor called pure gold my security, 25if I have rejoiced in my great wealthbecause my hand had gained so much, 26if I have beheld the sunfootnote cin its radianceor the moon moving in splendor, 27so that my heart was secretly enticedand my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, 28this would also be an iniquity to be judged,for I would have denied God on high.

29If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin,or exulted when evil befell him— 30I have not allowed my mouth to sinby asking for his life with a curse— 31if the men of my house have not said,‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’— 32but no stranger had to lodge on the street,for my door has been open to the traveler— 33if I have covered my transgressions like Adamfootnote dby hiding my guilt in my heart, 34because I greatly feared the crowdsand the contempt of the clans terrified me,so that I kept silentand would not go outside—

35(Oh, that I had one to hear me!Here is my signature.Let the Almighty answer me;let my accuser compose an indictment. 36Surely I would carry it on my shoulderand wear it like a crown. 37I would give account of all my steps;I would approach Him like a prince.)—

38if my land cries out against meand its furrows weep together, 39if I have devoured its produce without paymentor broken the spirit of its tenants, 40then let briers grow instead of wheatand stinkweed instead of barley.”Thus conclude the words of Job.