Job Asserts His Integrity
31 “I have made a covenant with my (A)eyes;
How then could I look at a virgin?
2 And what is (B)the portion of God from above,
Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is it not (C)disaster to the criminal,
And misfortune to (D)those who practice injustice?
4 Does He not (E)see my ways,
And (F)count all my steps?
5 “If I have (G)walked with deception,
And my foot has hurried after deceit,
6 Let Him (H)weigh me with accurate scales,
And let God know (I)my integrity.
7 If my step has (J)turned from the way,
Or my heart followed my eyes,
Or if any (K)spot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me (L)sow and another eat,
And let my (M)crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been (N)enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
10 May my wife (O)grind grain for another,
And let (P)others kneel down over her.
11 For that would be a (Q)lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be (R)wrongdoing punishable by judges.
12 For it would be (S)fire that consumes to (T)Abaddon,
And would (U)uproot all my increase.
13 “If I have (V)rejected the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
14 What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, how am I to answer Him?
15 Did (W)He who made me in the womb not make him,
And the same one create us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept (X)the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of (Y)the widow to fail,
17 Or have (Z)eaten my morsel alone,
And (AA)the orphan has not shared it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from my infancy I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish (AB)for lack of clothing,
Or that (AC)the needy had no covering,
20 If his waist has not thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against (AD)the orphan,
Because I saw I had support (AE)in the gate,
22 May my shoulder fall from its socket,
And my (AF)arm be broken off at the elbow.
23 For (AG)disaster from God is a terror to me,
And because of (AH)His majesty I can do nothing.
24 “If I have put my confidence in (AI)gold,
And called fine gold my trust,
25 If I have (AJ)gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had obtained so much;
26 If I have (AK)looked at the sun when it shone,
Or the moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart was secretly enticed,
And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 That too would have been (AL)a guilty deed calling for judgment,
For I would have (AM)denied God above.
29 “Have I (AN)rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy,
Or become excited when evil found him?
30 No, (AO)I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in (AP)a curse.
31 Have the people of my tent not said,
‘Who can find one who has not been (AQ)satisfied with his meat’?
32 The stranger has not spent the night outside,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler.
33 Have I (AR)covered my wrongdoings like a man,
By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,
34 Because I (AS)feared the great multitude
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And I kept silent and did not go out of doors?
35 Oh that I had one to hear me!
Here is my signature;
(AT)Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my (AU)adversary has written,
36 I would certainly carry it on my shoulder,
I would tie it to myself like a garland.
37 I would declare to Him (AV)the number of my steps;
Like (AW)a prince, I would approach Him.
38 “If my (AX)land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If I have (AY)eaten its fruit without money,
Or have (AZ)caused its owners to lose their lives,
40 May the (BA)thorn-bush grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Footnotes
- Job 31:6
- Job 31:7
- Job 31:8
- Job 31:10
- Job 31:12
- Job 31:12
- Job 31:17
- Job 31:18
- Job 31:20
- Job 31:21
- Job 31:22
- Job 31:22
- Job 31:26
- Job 31:27
- Job 31:28
- Job 31:30
- Job 31:30
- Job 31:31
- Job 31:32
- Job 31:35
- Job 31:39
- Job 31:39
- Job 31:40
Cross references
- Job 31:1 : Matt 5:28
- Job 31:2 : Job 20:29
- Job 31:3 : Job 18:12; 21:30
- Job 31:3 : Job 34:22
- Job 31:4 : 2 Chr 16:9; Job 24:23; 28:24; 34:21; 36:7; Prov 5:21; 15:3
- Job 31:4 : Job 14:16; 31:37
- Job 31:5 : Job 15:31; Mic 2:11
- Job 31:6 : Job 6:2, 3
- Job 31:6 : Job 23:10; 27:5, 6
- Job 31:7 : Job 23:11
- Job 31:7 : Job 9:30
- Job 31:8 : Lev 26:16; Job 20:18; Mic 6:15
- Job 31:8 : Job 31:12
- Job 31:9 : Job 24:15; 31:1
- Job 31:10 : Is 47:2
- Job 31:10 : Deut 28:30; Jer 8:10
- Job 31:11 : Lev 20:10; Deut 22:24
- Job 31:11 : Job 31:28
- Job 31:12 : Job 15:30
- Job 31:12 : Job 26:6
- Job 31:12 : Job 20:28; 31:8
- Job 31:13 : Deut 24:14, 15
- Job 31:15 : Job 10:3
- Job 31:16 : Job 5:16; 20:19
- Job 31:16 : Ex 22:22-24; Job 22:9
- Job 31:17 : Job 22:7
- Job 31:17 : Job 29:12
- Job 31:19 : Job 22:6; 29:13
- Job 31:19 : Job 24:4
- Job 31:21 : Job 29:12; 31:17
- Job 31:21 : Job 29:7
- Job 31:22 : Job 38:15
- Job 31:23 : Job 31:3
- Job 31:23 : Job 13:11
- Job 31:24 : Job 22:24; Mark 10:23-25
- Job 31:25 : Job 1:3, 10; Ps 62:10
- Job 31:26 : Deut 4:19; 17:3; Ezek 8:16
- Job 31:28 : Deut 17:2-7; Job 31:11
- Job 31:28 : Josh 24:27; Is 59:13
- Job 31:29 : Prov 17:5; 24:17; Obad 12
- Job 31:30 : Ps 7:4
- Job 31:30 : Job 5:3
- Job 31:31 : Job 22:7
- Job 31:33 : Gen 3:10; Prov 28:13
- Job 31:34 : Ex 23:2
- Job 31:35 : Job 19:7; 30:20, 24, 28; 35:14
- Job 31:35 : Job 27:7
- Job 31:37 : Job 31:4
- Job 31:37 : Job 1:3; 29:25
- Job 31:38 : Job 24:2
- Job 31:39 : Job 24:6, 10-12; James 5:4
- Job 31:39 : 1 Kin 21:19
- Job 31:40 : Job 32:13; Is 5:6
