Job 31:13–40

¹³“If I have been unfair to my male and female slaves

when they had a complaint against me,

¹⁴how could I tell God what I did?

What will I answer when he asks me to explain what I’ve done?

¹⁵God made me in my mother’s womb, and he also made them;

the same God formed both of us in our mothers’ wombs.

¹⁶“I have never refused the appeals of the poor

or let widows give up hope while looking for help.

¹⁷I have not kept my food to myself

but have given it to the orphans.

¹⁸Since I was young, I have been like a father to the orphans.

From my birth I guided the widows.

¹⁹I have not let anyone die for lack of clothes

or let a needy person go without a coat.

²⁰That person’s heart blessed me,

because I warmed him with the wool of my sheep.

²¹I have never hurt an orphan

even when I knew I could win in court.

²²If I have, then let my arm fall off my shoulder

and be broken at the joint.

²³I fear destruction from God,

and I fear his majesty, so I could not do such things.

²⁴“I have not put my trust in gold

or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security.’

²⁵I have not celebrated my great wealth

or the riches my hands had gained.

²⁶I have not thought about worshiping the sun in its brightness

nor admired the moon moving in glory

²⁷so that my heart was pulled away from God.

My hand has never offered the sun and moon a kiss of worship.

²⁸If I had, these also would have been sins to be punished,

because I would have been unfaithful to God.

²⁹“I have not been happy when my enemies fell

or laughed when they had trouble.

³⁰I have not let my mouth sin

by cursing my enemies’ life.

³¹The servants of my house have always said,

‘All have eaten what they want of Job’s food.’

³²No stranger ever had to spend the night in the street,

because I always let travelers stay in my home.

³³I have not hidden my sin as others do,

secretly keeping my guilt to myself.

³⁴I was not so afraid of the crowd

that I kept quiet and stayed inside

because I feared being hated by other families.

³⁵(“How I wish a court would hear my case!

Here I sign my name to show I have told the truth.

Now let the Almighty answer me;

let the one who accuses me write it down.

³⁶I would wear the writing on my shoulder;

I would put it on like a crown.

³⁷I would explain to God every step I took,

and I would come near to him like a prince.)

³⁸“If my land cries out against me

and its plowed rows are not wet with tears,

³⁹if I have taken the land’s harvest without paying

or have broken the spirit of those who worked the land,

⁴⁰then let thorns come up instead of wheat,

and let weeds come up instead of barley.”

The words of Job are finished.