Job 31:13–40

¹³When any of my servants complained against me,

I would listen and treat them fairly.

¹⁴If I did not, how could I then face God?

What could I say when God came to judge me?

¹⁵The same God who created me

created my servants also.

¹⁶I have never refused to help the poor;

never have I let widows live in despair

¹⁷or let orphans go hungry while I ate.

¹⁸All my life I have taken care of them.^k

¹⁹When I found someone in need,

too poor to buy clothes,

²⁰I would give him clothing made of wool

that had come from my own flock of sheep.

Then he would praise me with all his heart.

²¹If I have ever cheated an orphan,

knowing I could win in court,

²²then may my arms be broken;

may they be torn from my shoulders.

²³Because I fear God’s punishment,

I could never do such a thing.

²⁴I have never trusted in riches

²⁵or taken pride in my wealth.

²⁶I have never worshipped the sun in its brightness

or the moon in all its beauty.

²⁷I have not been led astray to honour them

by kissing my hand in reverence to them.

²⁸Such a sin should be punished by death;

it denies Almighty God.

²⁹I have never been glad when my enemies suffered,

or pleased when they met with disaster;

³⁰I never sinned by praying for their death.

³¹All those who work for me know

that I have always welcomed strangers.

³²I invited travellers into my home

and never let them sleep in the streets.

³³Others try to hide their sins,

but

I have never concealed mine.

³⁴I have never feared what people would say; I have never kept quiet or stayed indoors

because I feared their scorn.

³⁵Will no one listen to what I am saying?

I swear that every word is true.

Let Almighty God answer me.

If the charges my opponent brings against me

were written down so that I could see them,

³⁶I would wear them proudly on my shoulder

and place them on my head like a crown.

³⁷I would tell God everything I have done,

and hold my head high in his presence.

³⁸If I have stolen the land I farm

and taken it from its rightful owners-

³⁹if I have eaten the food that grew there

but let the farmers that grew it starve-

⁴⁰then instead of wheat and barley,

may weeds and thistles grow.

The words of Job are ended.