Job 31

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 if my heart hath followed my eyes, and if a spot hath cleaved to my hands:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself,

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

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, even when I saw myself superior in the gate:

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

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

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

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 confidence, And to the pure gold have said, `My trust,'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 have not said: Who will give us of his flesh that we may be filled?

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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, and have afflicted the son of the tillers thereof:

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

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