Job 31:13–40

¹³“Suppose I haven’t treated my male and female servants fairly

when they’ve brought charges against me.

¹⁴Then what will I do when God opposes me?

What answer will I give him

when he asks me to explain myself?

¹⁵Didn’t he who made me make my servants also?

Didn’t the same God form us inside our mothers?

¹⁶“I haven’t said no to what poor people have wanted.

I haven’t let widows lose their hope.

¹⁷I haven’t kept my bread to myself.

I’ve shared it with children whose fathers had died.

¹⁸From the time I was young, I’ve helped those widows.

I’ve raised those children as a father would.

¹⁹Suppose I’ve seen people dying

because they didn’t have any clothes.

I’ve seen needy people

who had nothing to wear.

²⁰And they didn’t give me their blessing

when I warmed them with wool from my sheep.

²¹Suppose I’ve raised my hand

against children whose fathers have died.

And I did it because I knew

I had power in the courts.

²²Then let my arm fall from my shoulder.

Let it be broken off at the joint.

²³I was afraid God would destroy me.

His glory terrifies me.

So I’d never do things like that.

²⁴“Suppose I’ve put my trust in gold.

I’ve said to pure gold, ‘You make me feel secure.’

²⁵And I’m happy because I’m so wealthy.

I’m glad because my hands have earned so much.

²⁶Suppose I’ve worshiped the sun in all of its glory.

I’ve bowed down to the moon in all of its beauty.

²⁷My heart has been secretly tempted.

My hand has thrown kisses to the sun and moon.

²⁸Then those things would have been sins that should be judged.

And I wouldn’t have been faithful to God in heaven.

²⁹“I wasn’t happy when hard times came to my enemies.

I didn’t enjoy seeing the trouble they had.

³⁰I didn’t allow my mouth to sin

by calling down curses on them.

³¹The workers in my house always said,

‘Job always gives plenty of food to everyone.’

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

My door was always open to travelers.

³³I didn’t hide my sin as others do.

I didn’t hide my guilt in my heart.

³⁴I was never afraid of the crowd.

I never worried that my relatives might hate me.

I didn’t have to keep quiet or stay inside.

³⁵“I wish someone would listen to me!

I’m signing my name to everything I’ve said.

I hope the Mighty One will give me his answer.

I hope the one who brings charges against me will write them down.

³⁶I’ll wear them on my shoulder.

I’ll put them on my head like a crown.

³⁷I’ll give that person a report of every step I take.

I’ll approach him like a prince.

³⁸“Suppose my land cries out against me.

And all of its soil is wet with tears.

³⁹Suppose I’ve used up its crops without paying for them.

Or I’ve broken the spirit of its renters.

⁴⁰Then let thorns grow instead of wheat.

Let weeds come up instead of barley.”

The words of Job end here.