Job 31

31I have made a covenant with my eyes. ^l

How then could I look at a young woman? ^mn

²For what portion ^owould I have from God above,

or what inheritance from the Almighty on high?

³Doesn’t disaster come to the unjust

and misfortune to evildoers?

⁴Does He not see my ways

and number all my steps? ^p

⁵If I have walked in falsehood

or my foot has rushed to deceit,

⁶let God weigh me in accurate scales, ^q

and He will recognize my integrity. ^r

⁷If my step has turned from the way,

my heart has followed my eyes,

or impurity has stained my hands, ^s

⁸let someone else eat what I have sown,

and let my crops be uprooted. ^t

⁹If my heart has been seduced by my neighbor’s wife

or I have lurked at his door,

¹⁰let my own wife grind grain for another man,

and let other men sleep with ^uher.

¹¹For that would be a disgrace;

it would be a crime deserving punishment. ^vw

¹²For it is a fire that consumes down to Abaddon;

it would destroy my entire harvest. ^x

¹³If I have dismissed the case of my male or female servants

when they made a complaint against me,

¹⁴what could I do when God stands up to judge?

How should I answer Him when He calls me to account?

¹⁵Did not the One who made me in the womb also make them?

Did not the same God form us both in the womb? ^y

¹⁶If I have refused the wishes of the poor

or let the widow’s ^zeyes go blind,

¹⁷if I have eaten my few crumbs alone

without letting the fatherless eat any of it—

¹⁸for from my youth, I raised him as his father,

and since the day I was born ^aI guided the widow—

¹⁹if I have seen anyone dying for lack of clothing

or a needy person without a cloak, ^b

²⁰if he ^cdid not bless me

while warming himself with the fleece from my sheep,

²¹if I ever cast my vote ^dagainst a fatherless child

when I saw that I had support in the city gate, ^e

²²then let my shoulder blade fall from my back,

and my arm be pulled from its socket.

²³For disaster from God terrifies me,

and because of His majesty I could not do these things. ^f

²⁴If I placed my confidence in gold

or called fine gold my trust, ^g

²⁵if I have rejoiced because my wealth is great

or because my own hand has acquired so much,

²⁶if I have gazed at the sun when it was shining

or at the moon moving in splendor, ^h

²⁷so that my heart was secretly enticed

and I threw them a kiss, ⁱ

²⁸this would also be a crime deserving punishment,

for I would have denied God above.

²⁹Have I rejoiced over my enemy’s distress,

or become excited when trouble came his way?

³⁰I have not allowed my mouth to sin

by asking for his life with a curse.

³¹Haven’t the members of my household said,

“Who is there who has not had enough to eat at Job’s table?”

³²No stranger had to spend the night on the street,

for I opened my door to the traveler.

³³Have I covered my transgressions ^jas others do ^k

by hiding my guilt in my heart, ^l

³⁴because I greatly feared the crowds,

and the contempt of the clans terrified me,

so I grew silent and would not go outside?

³⁵If only I had someone to hear my case! ^m

Here is my signature; let the Almighty answer me.

Let my Opponent compose His indictment.

³⁶I would surely carry it on my shoulder

and wear it like a crown. ⁿ

³⁷I would give Him an account of all my steps;

I would approach Him like a prince.

³⁸If my land cries out against me

and its furrows join in weeping,

³⁹if I have consumed its produce without payment

or shown contempt for its tenants, ^o

⁴⁰then let thorns ^pgrow instead of wheat

and stinkweed ^qinstead of barley.

The words of Job are concluded.