Job 31

Job’s Final Appeal

1 “I have made a covenant with my ^aeyes;
how then could I gaze at a virgin?
2What would be ^bmy portion from God above
and ^cmy heritage from the Almighty on high?
3Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
4 ^dDoes not he see my ways
and ^enumber all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood
and my foot has hastened to deceit;
6(Let me be ^fweighed in a just balance,
and let God know my integrity!)
7if my step has turned aside from the way
and ^gmy heart has gone after my eyes,
and if any ^hspot has stuck to my hands,
8then let me ⁱsow, and another eat,
and let what grows for me ▼

▼Or  let my descendants

be rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
and I have ^klain in wait at my neighbor’s door,
10then let my wife ^lgrind for another,
and let others ^mbow down on her.
11For that would be a heinous crime;
that would be an iniquity ⁿto be punished by the judges;
12for that would be a fire ^othat consumes as far as Abaddon,
and it would burn to the root all my increase.
13 “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,
when they brought a complaint against me,
14what then shall I do when God rises up?
When he ^pmakes inquiry, what shall I answer him?
15Did ^qnot he who made me in the womb make him?
And did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have ^rwithheld anything that the poor desired,
or have ^scaused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17or have eaten my morsel alone,
and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18(for from my youth the fatherless ▼

▼Hebrew he

grew up with me as with a father,
and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow ▼

▼Hebrew her

),
19if I have seen anyone ^vperish for ^wlack of clothing,
or the needy without ^xcovering,
20if his body has not ^yblessed me, ▼

▼Hebrew  if his loins have not blessed me

and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21if I have raised my hand against ^aathe fatherless,
because I saw my help in ^abthe gate,
22then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23For I was ^acin terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his ^admajesty.
24 ^ae“If I have made gold my ^aftrust
or called ^agfine gold my confidence,
25if I have ^ahrejoiced because my wealth was abundant
or because ^aimy hand had found much,
26 ^ajif I have looked at the sun ▼

▼Hebrew  the light

when it shone,
or ^althe moon moving in splendor,
27and my heart has been secretly enticed,
and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28this also would be ^aman iniquity to be punished by the judges,
for I would have been false to God above.
29 “If I have ^anrejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
or exulted when evil overtook him
30( ^aoI have not let my mouth sin
by asking for his life with a curse),
31if the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been filled with his ^apmeat?’
32( ^aqthe sojourner has not lodged in the street;
I have opened my doors to the traveler),
33if I ^arhave concealed my transgressions ^asas others do ▼

▼Or  as Adam did

by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34because I stood in great fear of ^authe multitude,
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
35Oh, that I had one to hear me!
(Here is my signature! Let the Almighty ^avanswer me!)
Oh, that I had ^awthe indictment written by my adversary!
36Surely I would carry it on my ^axshoulder;
I would ^aybind it on me as ^aza crown;
37I would give him an account of all my steps;
like a prince I would approach him.
38 “If my land has cried out against me
and its furrows have wept together,
39 ^baif I have eaten its yield without payment
and made its owners ^bbbreathe their last,
40let ^bcthorns grow instead of wheat,
and foul weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.