Job 31

Job's last defence

1"I made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I think upon a young woman? 2For what portion of God is there from above? What inheritance of the Almighty from on high? 3Isn't destruction for the wicked, and a strange punishment for the workers of wrongdoing? 4Doesn't he see my ways and count all my steps? 5If I have walked in falsehood, or if my foot has hurried towards deceit, 6let me be weighed in an even balance, so that God may know my integrity. 7If my step has turned out of the way, if my heart has followed my eyes, or if any blot has cleaved to my hands, 8then let me sow and another eat; yes, let my offspring be rooted out. 9If my heart has been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door, 10then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down upon her. 11For this is a heinous crime; yes, it is a wrongdoing that deserves punishment by the judges. 12It is a fire that consumes to destruction and would root out all my increase. 13If I despised the cause of my male or female servant when they contended with me, 14what then would I do when God rises up? When he visits, what would I answer him? 15Didn't the one who made me in the womb make him too? Didn't the same one fashion us in the womb? 16If I withheld the poor from their desire, or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, 17or ate my morsel alone while orphans did not eat from it — 18From my youth I cared for the orphan like a father, and from my mother's womb I guided the widow. 19If I have seen any perish for lack of clothing, or any poor person without covering, 20if his body did not bless me for being warmed with the fleece of my sheep, 21if I have lifted up my hand against orphans when I saw my help in the gate, 22then let my arm fall from my shoulder blade, and let my arm be broken from the bone. 23For destruction from God was a terror to me, and because of his highness I could not endure. 24If I made gold my hope or said to fine gold, 'You are my confidence'; 25if I rejoiced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gained much; 26If I looked at the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in brightness, 27and my heart was secretly enticed, or my mouth kissed my hand, 28this also would be a wrongdoing deserving punishment by the judge, because I would have denied the God above. 29If I rejoiced at the destruction of the one who hated me, or lifted myself up when evil found him — 30I have not allowed my mouth to sin by wishing a curse upon his soul. 31If the men of my household have not said, 'Who can find anyone who has not been filled with his food?' 32The stranger did not lodge in the street; I opened my doors to the traveller. 33If I covered my wrongdoings as Adam did, hiding my wrongdoing in my heart, 34Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, so that I kept silence and did not go out the door? 35If only someone would hear me! Here is my plea: let the Almighty answer me, and let my accuser put his case in writing. 36Surely I would take it upon my shoulder and bind it to me like a crown. 37I would declare to him the number of my steps; like a prince I would go near to him. 38If my land cries against me, or its furrows likewise complain, 39if I have eaten its fruits without money or caused its owners to lose their life, 40then let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended."

1I made a covenant with my eyes. So why should I think about a young woman? 2Because what share is there from God above, and what inheritance from the Almighty on high? 3Isn't ruin for the wicked, and something strange for the workers of wrongdoing? 4Doesn't he see my ways and count all my steps? 5If I've walked with emptiness, or if my foot has hurried to cheating — 6let me be weighed in honest scales, so God knows I'm whole. 7If my step has turned out of the way, and my heart walked after my eyes, and if any spot has stuck to my hands — 8then let me sow and let another eat. Yes, let my offspring be rooted out. 9If my heart has been taken in by a woman, or if I've lain in wait at my neighbour's door, 10then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down on her. 11Because that's a wicked thing. Yes, it's a wrong to be punished by the judges. 12Because it's a fire that eats up right to destruction, and would root out everything I've got. 13If I've sneered at the case of my servant or of my servant woman when they argued with me, 14what will I do when God gets up? And when he asks about it, what will I answer him? 15Didn't the one who made me in the womb make him? And didn't one shape us in the womb? 16If I've held back the poor from what they wanted, or made the eyes of the widow fail, 17or eaten my scrap on my own and the orphan hasn't eaten of it — 18because from my youth he was brought up with me like with a father, and I've guided her from my mother's womb — 19if I've seen anyone dying for want of clothing, or any poor man with no covering, 20if he wasn't warmed by his own body and if he wasn't warmed with the fleece of my sheep, 21if I've lifted up my hand against the orphan when I saw my help in the gate, 22then let my arm fall from my shoulder blade, and let my arm be broken from the bone. 23Because ruin from God was a terror to me, and because of his greatness I couldn't stand it. 24If I've made gold my hope, or said to the fine gold: You're what I trust in, 25if I celebrated because my wealth was great and because my hand had got plenty, 26if I looked at the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in brightness, 27and my heart was quietly taken in, or my mouth kissed my hand — 28that's a wrong to be punished by the judge too. Because I'd have denied the God above. 29If I celebrated when the one who hated me was wrecked, or lifted myself up when trouble found him — 30and I haven't let my mouth sin by wishing a curse on his soul. 31If the men of my tent didn't say: Who can we find who hasn't been filled with his meat? 32The stranger didn't stay the night in the street, but I opened my doors to the traveller. 33If I covered up what I'd stepped over the way men do, by hiding my wrongdoing in my chest — 34did I fear a great crowd, or did the contempt of families frighten me, so I kept quiet and didn't go out the door? 35If only someone would hear me. Look — here's my mark. Let the Almighty answer me, and let the one against me write out his charge. 36I'd definitely take it on my shoulder and tie it on me like a crown. 37I'd tell him the number of my steps. I'd go near him like a leader. 38If my land cries out against me, or its furrows complain together, 39if I've eaten its fruit without paying, or made its owners lose their life — 40then let thistles grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

1I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? 2For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? 3Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? 4Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? 5If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; 6Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity. 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; 8Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out. 9If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door; 10Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her. 11For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. 12For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase. 13If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; 14What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, 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? 16If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; 17Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; 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 have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; 20If his loins 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, when I saw my help in the gate: 22Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone. 23For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure. 24If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; 25If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; 26If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; 27And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: 28This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above. 29If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: 30Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. 31If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied. 32The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller. 33If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom: 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? 35Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book. 36Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. 37I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him. 38If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain; 39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: 40Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.