Job 31

1I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin?

1I made a covenant with my eyes, that I would not so much as think upon a virgin.

1A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what--do I attend to a virgin?

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

2For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven?

2For what part should God from above have in me, and what inheritance the Almighty from on high?

2And what <FI>is<Fi> the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights?

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

3Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers?

3Is not destruction to the wicked, and aversion to them that work iniquity?

3Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity?

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

4Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered?

4Doth not he consider my ways, and number all my steps?

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

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

5If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit;

5If I have walked in vanity, and my foot hath made haste to deceit:

5If I have walked with vanity, And my foot doth hasten to deceit,

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

6(Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness:)

6Let him weigh me in a just balance, and let God know my simplicity.

6He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my integrity.

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

7If my steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands;

7If my step hath turned out of the way, and if my heart hath followed my eyes, and if a spot hath cleaved to my hands:

7If my step doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish,

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;

8Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted.

8Then let me sow and let another reap: and let my offspring be rooted out.

8Let me sow--and another eat, And my products let be rooted out.

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

9If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door;

9If my heart hath been deceived upon a woman, and if I have laid wait at my friend's door:

9If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait,

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

10Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body.

10Let my wife be the harlot of another, and let other men lie with her.

10Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend.

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

11For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges:

11For this is a heinous crime, and a most grievous iniquity.

11For it <FI>is<Fi> a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity;

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

12It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce.

12It is a fire that devoureth even to destruction, and rooteth up all things that spring.

12For a fire it <FI>is<Fi> , to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root,

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

13If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me;

13If I have despised to abide judgment with my manservant, or my maidservant, when they had any controversy against me:

13If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me,

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

14What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions?

14For what shall I do when God shall rise to judge? and when he shall examine, what shall I answer him?

14Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do I answer Him?

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

15Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies?

15Did not he that made me in the womb make him also: and did not one and the same form me in the womb?

15Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.

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

16If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose;

16If I have denied to the poor what they desired, and have made the eyes of the widow wait:

16If I withhold from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume,

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

17If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father;

17If I have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof:

17And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it,

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

18(For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;)

18(For from my infancy mercy grew up with me: and it came out with me from my mother's womb:)

18(But from my youth He grew up with me as <FI>with<Fi> a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.)

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;)

19If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him;

19If I have despised him that was perishing for want of clothing, and the poor man that had no covering:

19If I see <FI>any<Fi> perishing without clothing, And there is no covering to the needy,

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

20If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm;

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

20If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,

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

21If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges;

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

21If I have waved at the fatherless my hand, When I see in <FI>him<Fi> the gate of my court,

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

22May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base.

22Let my shoulder fall from its joint, and let my arm with its bones be broken.

22My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken.

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

23For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things.

23For I have always feared God as waves swelling over me, and his weight I was unable to bear.

23For a dread unto me <FI>is<Fi> calamity <FI>from<Fi> God, And because of His excellency I am not able.

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

24If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you;

24If I have thought gold my strength, and have said to fine gold: My confidence:

24If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, `My trust,'

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

25If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store;

25If I have rejoiced over my great riches, and because my hand had gotten much.

25If I rejoice because great <FI>is<Fi> my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found,

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

26If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,

26If I beheld the sun when it shined and the moon going in brightness:

26If I see the light when it shineth, And the precious moon walking,

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

27A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth;

27And my heart in secret hath rejoiced, and I have kissed my hand with my mouth:

27And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth,

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

28That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high.

28Which is a very great iniquity, and a denial against the most high God.

28It also <FI>is<Fi> a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above.

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

29If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him;

29If I have been glad at the downfall of him that hated me, and have rejoiced that evil had found him.

29If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him,

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

30(For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;)

30For I have not been given my mouth to sin, by wishing a curse to his soul.

30Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life.

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

31If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat?

31If the men of my tabernacle have not said: Who will give us of his flesh that we may be filled?

31If not--say ye, O men of my tent, `O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.'

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

32The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey;

32The stranger did not stay without, my door was open to the traveller.

32In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open.

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

33If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast,

33If as a man I have hid my sin, and have concealed my iniquity in my bosom.

33If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity,

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

34For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door;

34If I have been afraid at a very great multitude, and the contempt of kinsmen hath terrified me: and have not rather held my peace, and not gone out of the door.

34Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening.

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?

35If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing!

35Who would grant me a hearing, that the Almighty may hear my desire: and that he himself that judgeth would write a book,

35Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written.

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

36Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown;

36That I may carry it on my shoulder, and put it about me as a crown?

36If not--on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it a crown on myself.

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

37I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended.

37At every step of mine I would pronounce it, and offer it as to a prince.

37The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him.

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

38If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow;

38If my land cry against me, and with it the furrows thereof mourn:

38If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep,

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

39If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners;

39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, and have afflicted the son of the tillers thereof:

39If its strength I consumed without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out,

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

40Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants.

40Let thistles grow up to me instead of wheat, and thorns instead of barley.

40Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.

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