Job 31

1I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin?

1I made a promise to my own eyes not to look at a young woman with lust.

2For what is the portion from God above, And the heritage from the Almighty on high?

2For what would be my reward from God above or my inheritance from the Almighty on high?

3Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity?

3Does not disaster come to the wicked and ruin to those who do wrong?

4Doth not he see my ways, And number all my steps?

4Does he not see everything I do and count every step I take?

5If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot hath hasted to deceit

5If I have lived a lie or if my feet have rushed to trick others,

6(Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity);

6let God weigh me on an honest scale so he will know my integrity.

7If my step hath turned out of the way, And my heart walked after mine eyes, And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands:

7If my steps have wandered from the right path, if my heart has followed my eyes' sinful desires, or if my hands are stained with guilt,

8Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

8then let others eat what I have planted and let my crops be pulled up by the roots.

9If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door;

9If my heart has been tempted by a woman, or if I have waited secretly at my neighbor's door,

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

10then let my wife grind grain for another man, and let other men sleep with her.

11For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:

11For that would be a shameful sin, a crime that must be punished by judges.

12For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase.

12It is a fire that burns all the way to destruction; it would wipe out everything I have earned.

13If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me;

13If I have denied justice to my male or female servants when they had a complaint against me,

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

14what will I do when God stands up to judge? What will I say when he calls me to account?

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

15Did not the same God who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us both before we were born?

16If I have withheld the poor fromtheirdesire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

16If I have refused to help the poor or let the widow's eyes grow tired with weeping,

17Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof

17if I have kept my food to myself and not shared it with the orphans—

18(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And her have I guided from my mother’s womb);

18though from my youth I cared for the orphan like a father, and from my birth I guided the widow—

19If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering;

19if I have seen anyone shivering for lack of clothes or a needy person with nothing to cover them,

20If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

20and they did not bless me from their heart because they were warmed by the wool of my sheep,

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

21if I have raised my hand against an orphan because I knew I had influence in the court,

22Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone.

22then let my arm fall from my shoulder and be broken off at the joint.

23For calamity from God is a terror to me, And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.

23For I fear disaster from God; because of his majesty, I could not do such things.

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

24If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, 'You are my security,'

25If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much;

25if I have bragged about my great wealth because my hands had gained so much,

26If I have beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness,

26if I have looked at the sun shining or the moon moving in its beauty,

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

27and my heart was secretly enticed to worship them by blowing a kiss to them with my hand,

28This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have denied the God that is above.

28then these also would be sins to be punished by judges, for I would have been unfaithful to God above.

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

29If I have been happy when my enemy was ruined or bragged when trouble came to him—

30(Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse);

30I have not even allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse—

31If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?

31if those who live in my house have not said, 'Who has not been filled with the food he provided?'

32(The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the traveller);

32no stranger ever had to sleep in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler—

33If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,

33if I have hidden my sins like Adam did, by keeping my guilt to myself,

34Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door—

34because I was afraid of the crowd or feared the contempt of other families so that I kept quiet and stayed inside—

35Oh that I had one to hear me! (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me) Andthat I hadthe indictment which mine adversary hath written!

35Oh, that someone would listen to me! I sign my name to my defense now; let the Almighty answer me! Let my accuser write out his charges on a scroll.

36Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown:

36I would surely carry it on my shoulder and wear it like a crown.

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

37I would give him an account of every step I have taken; I would approach him like a prince.

38If my land crieth out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together;

38If my land cries out against me and its plowed rows weep together,

39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

39if I have eaten its produce without paying for it or caused its rightful owners to despair,

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

40then let thorns grow instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley. This ends the words of Job.