Job 31
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| I made an agreement with my eyes; how then might my eyes be looking on a virgin? |
| For what is God's reward from on high, or the heritage given by the Ruler of all from heaven? |
| Is it not trouble for the sinner, and destruction for the evil-doers? |
| Does he not see my ways, and are not my steps all numbered? |
| If I have gone in false ways, or my foot has been quick in working deceit; |
| (Let me be measured in upright scales, and let God see my righteousness:) |
| 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; |
| Let me put seed in the earth for another to have the fruit of it, and let my produce be uprooted. |
| If my heart went after another man's wife, or if I was waiting secretly at my neighbour's door; |
| Then let my wife give pleasure to another man and let others make use of her body. |
| For that would be a crime; it would be an act for which punishment would be measured out by the judges: |
| It would be a fire burning even to destruction, and taking away all my produce. |
| If I did wrong in the cause of my man-servant, or my woman-servant, when they went to law with me; |
| What then will I do when God comes as my judge? and what answer may I give to his questions? |
| Did not God make him as well as me? did he not give us life in our mothers' bodies? |
| If I kept back the desire of the poor; if the widow's eye was looking for help to no purpose; |
| If I kept my food for myself, and did not give some of it to the child with no father; |
| (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 saw one near to death for need of clothing, and that the poor had nothing covering him; |
| If his back did not give me a blessing, and the wool of my sheep did not make him warm; |
| If my hand had been lifted up against him who had done no wrong, when I saw that I was supported by the judges; |
| May my arm be pulled from my body, and be broken from its base. |
| For the fear of God kept me back, and because of his power I might not do such things. |
| If I made gold my hope, or if I ever said to the best gold, I have put my faith in you; |
| If I was glad because my wealth was great, and because my hand had got together a great store; |
| If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way, |
| A secret feeling of worship came into my heart, and my hand gave kisses from my mouth; |
| 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 was glad at the trouble of my hater, and gave cries of joy when evil overtook him; |
| (For I did not let my mouth give way to sin, in putting a curse on his life;) |
| If the men of my tent did not say, Who has not had full measure of his meat? |
| The traveller did not take his night's rest in the street, and my doors were open to anyone on a journey; |
| If I kept my evil doings covered, and my sin in the secret of my breast, |
| 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; |
| 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! |
| Truly I would take up the book in my hands; it would be to me as a crown; |
| 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 has made an outcry against me, or the ploughed earth has been in sorrow; |
| If I have taken its produce without payment, causing the death of its owners; |
| Then in place of grain let thorns come up, and in place of barley evil-smelling plants. |
