Job 31

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

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.

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

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?

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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:

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

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.

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 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:

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

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.

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

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:

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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:

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

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?

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

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?

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

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:

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

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:

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

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:)

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

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:

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

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:

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

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:

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

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.

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

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.

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

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:

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

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.

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

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:

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

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:

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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

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.

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—

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.

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!

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,

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

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?

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

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.

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

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:

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

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:

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

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.