Job 31

Job Asserts His Integrity

1 “I have made a covenant with my ^aeyes;
How then could I look at a virgin?
2 “And what is ^bthe portion of God from above,
Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 “Is it not ^cdisaster to the criminal,
And misfortune to ^dthose who practice injustice?
4 “Does He not ^esee my ways,
And ^fcount all my steps?

5 “If I have ^gwalked with deception,
And my foot has hurried after deceit,
6 Let Him ^hweigh me with ▼

▼Lit just

accurate scales,
And let God know ^jmy integrity.
7 “If my step has ^kturned from the way,
Or my heart ▼

▼Lit walked after

followed my eyes,
Or if any ^mspot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me ⁿsow and another eat,
And let my ▼

▼Or offspring

, ^pcrops be uprooted.

9 “If my heart has been ^qenticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
10 May my wife ^rgrind grain for another,
And let ^sothers ▼

▼I.e., have sexual relations with her

kneel down over her.
11 “For that would be a ^ulustful crime;
Moreover, it would be ^vwrongdoing punishable by judges.
12 “For it would be ^wfire that consumes to ▼

▼I.e., the place of destruction

, ^yAbaddon,
And would ^zuproot all my ▼

▼Or yield

increase.

13 “If I have ^abrejected the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
14 What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, how am I to answer Him?
15 “Did ^acHe who made me in the womb not make him,
And the same one create us in the womb?

16 “If I have kept ^adthe poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of ^aethe widow to fail,
17 Or have ^afeaten my morsel alone,
And ^agthe orphan has not ▼

▼Lit eaten from it

shared it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from ▼

▼Lit my mother’s womb

my infancy I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish ^ajfor lack of clothing,
Or that ^akthe needy had no covering,
20 If his waist has not ▼

▼Lit blessed; i.e., for clothing

thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against ^amthe orphan,
Because I saw ▼

▼Lit my help

I had support ^aoin the gate,
22 May my shoulder fall from its ▼

▼Lit neck-joint

socket,
And my ^aqarm be broken off ▼

▼Lit from the bone of the upper arm

at the elbow.
23 “For ^asdisaster from God is a terror to me,
And because of ^atHis majesty I can do nothing.

24 “If I have put my confidence in ^augold,
And called fine gold my trust,
25 If I have ^avgloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had obtained so much;
26 If I have ^awlooked at the ▼

▼Lit light

sun when it shone,
Or the moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart was secretly enticed,
And my hand ▼

▼Lit kissed my mouth

threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 That too would have been ^aza guilty deed calling for ▼

▼Lit judges

judgment,
For I would have ^bbdenied God above.

29 “Have I ^bcrejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy,
Or become excited when evil found him?
30 “ ▼

▼Lit And

No, ^beI have not ▼

▼Lit given my palate

allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in ^bga curse.
31 “Have the people of my tent not said,
‘Who can ▼

▼Lit give

find one who has not been ^bisatisfied with his meat’?
32 “The stranger has not spent the night outside,
For I have opened my doors to the ▼

▼MT way

traveler.
33 “Have I ^bkcovered my wrongdoings like a man,
By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,
34 Because I ^blfeared the great multitude
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And I kept silent and did not go out of doors?
35 “Oh that I had one to hear me!
Here is my ▼

▼Lit mark

signature;
^bnLet the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my ^boadversary has written,
36 I would certainly carry it on my shoulder,
I would tie it to myself like a garland.
37 “I would declare to Him ^bpthe number of my steps;
Like ^bqa prince, I would approach Him.

38 “If my ^brland cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If I have ^bseaten its ▼

▼Lit strength

fruit without money,
Or have ^bucaused ▼

▼Lit the soul of its owners to expire

its owners to lose their lives,
40 May the ^bwthorn-bush ▼

▼Lit come forth

grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.