Job 31

¹I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then could I gaze upon a maid?

²For what is the portion appointed by God from above, And the inheritance allotted by the Almighty from on high?

³Is not destruction for the wicked, And ruin for the workers of iniquity?

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

⁵If I have walked with falsehood, And if my foot hath hasted to deceit,

⁶Let him weigh me in an even balance; Yea, let God know my integrity!

⁷If my steps have turned aside from the way, And my heart gone after mine eyes, Or if any stain hath cleaved to my hand,

⁸Then I may sow, and another eat; And what I plant, may it be rooted up!

⁹If my heart hath been enticed by a woman, Or if I have watched at my neighbor’s door,

¹⁰Then let my wife grind for another, And let other men lie with her!

¹¹For this were a heinous crime, Even a transgression to be punished by the judges;

¹²Yea, it were a fire that would consume to destruction, And root out all my increase.

¹³If I have refused justice to my man-servant or maid-servant, When they had a controversy with me,

¹⁴Then what 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? Did not one fashion us in the womb?

¹⁶If I have refused the poor their desire, And caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

¹⁷If I have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not partaken of it;

¹⁸(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And I have helped the widow from my mother’s womb;)

¹⁹If I have seen any one perishing for want of clothing, Or any poor man without covering;

²⁰If his loins have not blessed me, And he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

²¹If I have shaken my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate,—

²²Then may my shoulder fill from its blade, And my fore-arm be broken from its bone!

²³For destruction from God was a terror to me, And before his majesty I could do nothing.

²⁴If I have made gold my trust, Or said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

²⁵If I have rejoiced, because my wealth was great, And my hand had found abundance;

²⁶If I have beheld the sun in his splendor, Or the moon advancing in brightness,

²⁷And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath kissed my hand,

²⁸This also were a crime to be punished by the judge; For I should have denied the God who is above.

²⁹If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, And exulted when evil came upon him;

³⁰(Nay, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, By asking with curses his life;)

³¹If the men of my tent have not exclaimed, "Who is there that hath not been satisfied with his meat?"

³²The stranger did not lodge in the street; I opened my doors to the traveller.

³³Have I, after the manner of men, hidden my transgression, Concealing my iniquity in my bosom,

³⁴Then let me be confounded before the great multitude! Let the contempt of families cover me with shame! Yea, let me keep silence! let me never appear abroad!

³⁵O that there were one who would hear me! Behold my signature! let the Almighty answer me. And let mine adversary write down his charge!

³⁶Truly I would wear it upon my shoulder; I would bind it upon me as a crown.

³⁷I would disclose to him all my steps; I would approach him like a prince.

³⁸If my land cry out against me, And its furrows bewail together;

³⁹If I have eaten of its fruits without payment, And wrung out the life of its owners,

⁴⁰Let thorns grow up instead of wheat, And noxious weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

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.