Job 31

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.

Job 31

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 reap: and let my offspring be rooted out.

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

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

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

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

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

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 also: and did not one and the same form me in the womb?

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

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

¹⁸(For from my infancy mercy grew up with me: and it came out with me from my mother's womb:)

¹⁹If I have despised him that was perishing for want of clothing, and the poor man that had no covering:

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, even when I saw myself superior in the gate:

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

²³For I have always feared God as waves swelling over me, and his weight I was unable to bear.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

³¹If the men of my tabernacle have not said: Who will give us of his flesh that we may be filled?

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

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

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

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

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

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

³⁹If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, and have afflicted the son of the tillers thereof:

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