Job 31

1 “I made a covenant for my eyes, || And how do I attend to a virgin? 2 And what is the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights? 3 Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity? 4 Does He not see my ways, || And number all my steps? 5 If I have walked with vanity, || And my foot hurries to deceit, 6 He weighs me in righteous balances, || And God knows my integrity. 7 If my step turns aside from the way, || And my heart has gone after my eyes, || And blemish has cleaved to my hands, 8 Let me sow—and another eat, || And let my products be rooted out. 9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman, || And I laid wait by the opening of my neighbor, 10 Let my wife grind to another, || And let others bend over her. 11 For it is a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity; 12 For it is a fire, it consumes to destruction, || And takes root among all my increase, 13 If I despise the cause of my manservant, || And of my handmaid, || In their contending with me, 14 Then what do I do when God arises? And when He inspects, || What do I answer Him? 15 Did He that made me in the womb not make him? Indeed, One prepares us in the womb. 16 If I withhold the poor from pleasure, || And consume the eyes of the widow, 17 And I eat my morsel by myself, || And the orphan has nothing to eat of it, 18 (But from my youth || He grew up with me as with a father, || And from the belly of my mother I am led), 19 If I see any perishing without clothing, || And there is no covering for the needy, 20 If his loins have not blessed me, || And from the fleece of my sheep || He does not warm himself, 21 If I have waved my hand at the fatherless, || When I see him in the gate of my court, 22 Let my shoulder fall from its blade, || And the bone from my arm be broken. 23 For calamity from God is a dread to me, || And because of His excellence I am not able. 24 If I have made gold my confidence, || And to the pure gold have said, My trust; 25 If I rejoice because my wealth is great, || And because my hand has found abundance, 26 If I see the light when it shines, || And the precious moon walking, 27 And my heart is enticed in secret, || And my hand kisses my mouth, 28 It also is a judicial iniquity, || For I had lied to God above. 29 If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, || And stirred up myself when evil found him, 30 Indeed, I have not permitted my mouth to sin, || To ask with an oath his life. 31 If not, say, O men of my tent: O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied. 32 A stranger does not lodge in the street, || I open my doors to the traveler. 33 If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, || To hide my iniquity in my bosom, 34 Because I fear a great multitude, || And the contempt of families frightens me, || Then I am silent, I do not go out of the opening. 35 Who gives to me a hearing? Behold, my mark. The Mighty One answers me, || And my adversary has written a bill. 36 If not—on my shoulder I take it up, || I bind it as a crown on myself. 37 The number of my steps I tell Him, || As a leader I approach Him. 38 If my land cries out against me, || And together its furrows weep, 39 If I consumed its strength without money, || And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out, 40 Instead of wheat let a thorn go out, || And instead of barley a useless weed!” The words of Job are finished.


Next: Chapter 32

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42