Job 31  New International Version

31 “I made a covenant with my eyes^(A)
    not to look lustfully at a young woman.^(B)
2 For what is our lot^(C) from God above,
    our heritage from the Almighty on high?^(D)
3 Is it not ruin^(E) for the wicked,
    disaster^(F) for those who do wrong?^(G)
4 Does he not see my ways^(H)
    and count my every step?^(I)

⁵ “If I have walked with falsehood
    or my foot has hurried after deceit^(J)—
⁶ let God weigh me^(K) in honest scales^(L)
    and he will know that I am blameless^(M)—
⁷ if my steps have turned from the path,^(N)
    if my heart has been led by my eyes,
    or if my hands^(O) have been defiled,^(P)
8 then may others eat what I have sown,^(Q)
    and may my crops be uprooted.^(R)

⁹ “If my heart has been enticed^(S) by a woman,^(T)
    or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
¹⁰ then may my wife grind^(U) another man’s grain,
    and may other men sleep with her.^(V)
11 For that would have been wicked,^(W)
    a sin to be judged.^(X)
12 It is a fire^(Y) that burns to Destruction^[a];^(Z)
    it would have uprooted my harvest.^(AA)

¹³ “If I have denied justice to any of my servants,^(AB)
    whether male or female,
    when they had a grievance against me,^(AC)
14 what will I do when God confronts me?^(AD)
    What will I answer when called to account?^(AE)
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them?^(AF)
    Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?^(AG)

¹⁶ “If I have denied the desires of the poor^(AH)
    or let the eyes of the widow^(AI) grow weary,^(AJ)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless^(AK)—
¹⁸ but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow^(AL)—
¹⁹ if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,^(AM)
    or the needy^(AN) without garments,
²⁰ and their hearts did not bless me^(AO)
    for warming them with the fleece^(AP) from my sheep,
²¹ if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,^(AQ)
    knowing that I had influence in court,^(AR)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.^(AS)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,^(AT)
    and for fear of his splendor^(AU) I could not do such things.^(AV)

²⁴ “If I have put my trust in gold^(AW)
    or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’^(AX)
25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,^(AY)
    the fortune my hands had gained,^(AZ)
26 if I have regarded the sun^(BA) in its radiance
    or the moon^(BB) moving in splendor,
²⁷ so that my heart was secretly enticed^(BC)
    and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,^(BD)
28 then these also would be sins to be judged,^(BE)
    for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.^(BF)

²⁹ “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune^(BG)
    or gloated over the trouble that came to him^(BH)—
³⁰ I have not allowed my mouth to sin
    by invoking a curse against their life^(BI)—
³¹ if those of my household have never said,
    ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’^(BJ)—
³² but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
    for my door was always open to the traveler^(BK)—
³³ if I have concealed^(BL) my sin as people do,^[b]
    by hiding^(BM) my guilt in my heart
³⁴ because I so feared the crowd^(BN)
    and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
    that I kept silent^(BO) and would not go outside—

³⁵ (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!^(BP)
    I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
    let my accuser^(BQ) put his indictment in writing.
³⁶ Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,^(BR)
    I would put it on like a crown.^(BS)
37 I would give him an account of my every step;^(BT)
    I would present it to him as to a ruler.^(BU))—

³⁸ “if my land cries out against me^(BV)
    and all its furrows are wet^(BW) with tears,
³⁹ if I have devoured its yield without payment^(BX)
    or broken the spirit of its tenants,^(BY)
40 then let briers^(BZ) come up instead of wheat
    and stinkweed^(CA) instead of barley.”