Job 31

International Standard Version

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes;
    how, then, can I focus my attention on a virgin?
² What would I have^[a] from God above,
    what heritage from the Almighty on high,
³ if not calamity that is due the unjust,
    and misfortune that is due those who practice iniquity?
⁴ He watches my life,
    observing every one of my actions,^[b] does he not?”

⁵ “If I’ve lived my life in the company of vanity,
    or run quickly to embrace deception,
⁶ let my righteousness be weighed in honest scales,
    and God will make known my integrity.
⁷ If I have stepped away from the way,
    or if my heart covets whatever my eyes see,
        or if some other blemish clings to my hands,
⁸ what I’ve planted, let another eat
    or let my crops be uprooted.”

⁹ “If my heart has been seduced by a woman
    and I’ve laid in wait at my friend’s door,
¹⁰ then let my wife cook^[c] for another person
    and may someone else sleep with her,
¹¹ because something as lascivious as that
    is an iniquity that should be judged.
¹² The fires of Abaddon^[d] will burn,^[e]
    disrupting every part of my eternal reward.”^[f]

¹³ “If I’ve refused to help my male and female servants
    when they complain against me,
¹⁴ what will I do when God stands up to act?
    When he asks the questions, how will I answer him?
¹⁵ The one who made me in the womb made them,^[g] too, didn’t he?
    Didn’t the same one prepare each of us in the womb?”

¹⁶ “If I refused to grant the desire of the poor
    or exhausted the eyes of the widow,
¹⁷ if I ate my meals by myself
    without feeding orphans,
¹⁸ (even a poor man had grown up with me as if I were his father,
    and even though I had guided the widow^[h]
        from the time I was born),
¹⁹ if I’ve observed someone who is about to die for lack of clothes
    or if I have no clothing to give to the poor,
²⁰ if he hadn’t thanked me from the bottom of his heart,^[i]
    if he had not been warmed by wool from my sheep,
²¹ if I’ve raised my hand against an orphan
    when I thought I would against him in court,^[j]
22 then let my arm^[k] fall from its socket;
    and may my arm be torn off at the shoulder.
²³ For I’m terrified of what calamity God may have in store for me;
    and I cannot endure his grandeur.”

²⁴ “If I’ve put my confidence in gold,
    if I’ve told gold, ‘You’re my security,’
²⁵ if I’ve found joy in great wealth that I own,
    if I’ve earned a lot with my own hands,
²⁶ if I look at the sun^[l] when it shines
    or the moon as it rises in steady splendor,
²⁷ so that in the depths of my deceived heart
    I worshipped them with my mouth and hands,
²⁸ this is also a sin that deserves to be judged,
    since I would have tried to deceive^[m] God above.”

²⁹ “Have I rejoiced in the destruction of those who hate me,
    or have I been happy that evil caught up with him?
³⁰ No, I haven’t allowed my mouth to sin
    by asking for his life^[n] with a curse.
³¹ People in my household have said,
    ‘We cannot find anyone who has not been satisfied with his meat,’ haven’t they?
³² No stranger ever spent the night in the street,
    because I opened my doors to travelers.”

³³ “Have I covered my transgression like other people,
    to conceal iniquity within myself?^[o]
34 Have I feared large crowds?
    Has my family’s contempt ever terrified me
        so that I remained silent and wouldn’t go outside?”

³⁵ “Who will grant me a hearing?
    Here’s my signature^[p]—let the Almighty answer!
Since my adversary indicted me,
³⁶ I’ll wear it on my shoulder,
        or tie it on my head for a crown!
³⁷ I’ll give an account for every step I’ve taken;
    I’ll approach him confidently like a Commander-in-Chief.”^[q]

³⁸ “If my land were to cry out against me
    or if all its furrows wept as one,
³⁹ If I’ve consumed its produce^[r] without paying for it
    and snuffed out the life of its owners;
⁴⁰ may thorns spring up instead of wheat,
    and obnoxious weeds instead of barley.”