Job, 31

1. I had made an agreement with my eyes not to linger on any virgin.

1. I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

2. Now what portion does God allot from above, what fate does Shaddai apportion from his heaven-

2. For what portion of God [is there] from above? and [what] inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

3. if not the disasters appropriate to the wicked and the calamities fit for evil-doers?

3. [Is] not destruction to the wicked? and a strange [punishment] to the workers of iniquity?

4. But surely he sees how I behave, does he not count all my steps?

4. Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

5. Have I been a fellow-traveller with falsehood, or hastened my steps towards deceit?

5. If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

6. Let him weigh me on accurate scales: then he, God, will recognise my integrity!

6. Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

7. If my feet have wandered from the rightful path, or if my eyes have led my heart astray, or if my hands are smirched with any stain,

7. If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

8. let someone else eat what I have sown and let my young shoots all be rooted out.

8. [Then] let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

9. If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbour's door,

9. If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or [if] I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;

10. let my wife go and grind for someone else, let others have intercourse with her!

10. [Then] let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

11. For I would have committed a sin of lust, a crime punishable by the law,

11. For this [is] an heinous crime; yea, it [is] an iniquity [to be punished by] the judges.

12. a fire, indeed, burning all to Perdition, which would have devoured my whole revenue.

12. For it [is] a fire [that] consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13. If I have ever infringed the rights of slave or slave-girl in legal actions against me-

13. If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

14. what shall I do, when God stands up? What shall I say, when he holds his assize?

14. What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

15. Did he not create them in the womb like me, the same God forming us in the womb?

15. Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

16. Have I been insensible to the needs of the poor, or let a widow's eyes grow dim?

16. If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17. Have I eaten my bit of bread on my own without sharing it with the orphan?

17. Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

18. I, whom God has fostered father-like from childhood, and guided since I left my mother's womb,

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;)

19. have I ever seen a wretch in need of clothing, or the poor with nothing to wear,

19. If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

20. without his having cause to bless me from his heart, as he felt the warmth of the fleece from my lambs?

20. If his loins have not blessed me, and [if] he were [not] warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21. Have I raised my hand against an orphan, presuming on my credit at the gate?

21. If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

22. If so, let my shoulder fall from its socket, let my arm break off at the elbow!

22. [Then] let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

23. For the terror of God would fall on me and I could not then stand my ground before his majesty.

23. For destruction [from] God [was] a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

24. Have I put my faith in gold, saying to fine gold, 'Ah, my security'?

24. If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, [Thou art] my confidence;

25. Have I ever gloated over my great wealth, or the riches that my hands have won?

25. If I rejoiced because my wealth [was] great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

26. Or has the sight of the sun in its glory, or the glow of the moon as it walked the sky,

26. If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking [in] brightness;

27. secretly stolen my heart, so that I blew them a kiss?

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

28. That too would be a criminal offence, to have denied the supreme God.

28. This also [were] an iniquity [to be punished by] the judge: for I should have denied the God [that is] above.

29. Have I rejoiced at my enemy's misfortune, or exulted when disaster overtook him? -

29. If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

30. I, who would not allow my tongue to sin or to lay his life under a curse.

30. Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

31. The people of my tent, did they not say, 'Will anyone name a person whom he has not filled with meat?'

31. If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

32. No stranger ever had to sleep outside, my door was always open to the traveller.

32. The stranger did not lodge in the street: [but] I opened my doors to the traveller.

33. Have I ever concealed my transgression from others or kept my fault a secret in my breast?

33. If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

34. Have I ever stood in fear of common gossip, or dreaded any family's contempt, and so kept quiet, not venturing out of doors?

34. Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, [and] went not out of the door?

35. Will no one give me a hearing? I have said my last word; now let Shaddai reply! When my adversary has drafted his writ against me

35. Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire [is, that] the Almighty would answer me, and [that] mine adversary had written a book.

36. I shall wear it on my shoulder, and bind it round my head like a royal turban.

36. Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, [and] bind it [as] a crown to me.

37. I shall give him an account of my every step and go as boldly as a prince to meet him.End of the words of Job.

37. I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

38. If my land cries for vengeance against me and its furrows weep in concert,

38. If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

39. if I have eaten its produce without paying, and caused the death of its owners,

39. If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

40. let brambles grow instead of wheat, rank weeds instead of barley!

40. Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.