Job 31
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Job 31
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I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin? | I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin? |
For what is the portion from God above, And the heritage from the Almighty on high? | For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven? |
Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, And disaster to the workers of iniquity? | Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers? |
Doth not he see my ways, And number all my steps? | Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered? |
If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot hath hasted to deceit | If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit; |
(Let me be weighed in an even balance, That God may know mine integrity); | (Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness:) |
If my step hath turned out of the way, And my heart walked after mine eyes, And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands: | If my steps have been turned out of the way, or if my heart went after my eyes, or if the property of another is in my hands; |
Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out. | Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted. |
If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor's door; | If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door; |
Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her. | Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body. |
For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges: | For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges: |
For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase. | It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce. |
If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant, When they contended with me; | If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me; |
What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? | What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions? |
Did not he that made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb? | Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies? |
If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, | If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose; |
Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof | If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father; |
(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And her have I guided from my mother's womb); | (For I was cared for by God as by a father from my earliest days; he was my guide from the body of my mother;) |
If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering; | If I saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him; |
If his loins have not blessed me, And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep; | If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm; |
If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate: | If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges; |
Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade, And mine arm be broken from the bone. | May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base. |
For calamity from God is a terror to me, And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing. | For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things. |
If I have made gold my hope, And have said to the fine gold, [Thou art] my confidence; | If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you; |
If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much; | If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store; |
If I have beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness, | If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way, |
And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath kissed my hand: | A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth; |
This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; For I should have denied the God that is above. | That would have been another sin to be rewarded with punishment by the judges; for I would have been false to God on high. |
If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him; | If I was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him; |
(Yea, I have not suffered by mouth to sin By asking his life with a curse); | (For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;) |
If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat? | If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat? |
(The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the traveller); | The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey; |
If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom, | If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast, |
Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door- | For fear of the great body of people, or for fear that families might make sport of me, so that I kept quiet, and did not go out of my door; |
Oh that I had one to hear me! (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me); And [that I had] the indictment which mine adversary hath written! | If only God would give ear to me, and the Ruler of all would give me an answer! or if what he has against me had been put in writing! |
Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder; I would bind it unto me as a crown: | Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown; |
I would declare unto him the number of my steps; As a prince would I go near unto him. | I would make clear the number of my steps, I would put it before him like a prince! The words of Job are ended. |
If my land crieth out against me, And the furrows thereof weep together; | If my land has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow; |
If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: | If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners; |
Let thistles grow instead of wheat, And cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended. | Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants. |