Job 31

1 “I made a covenant with my eyes; ‡ Jas 1:14-15Mat 5:28-291Jn 2:16Psa 119:37Pro 6:252Sa 11:2-4Pro 4:25Gen 6:2 +1

how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

2 For what is the portion from God above, ‡ Job 20:29Heb 13:4Job 27:13

and the heritage from the Almighty on high?

3 Is it not calamity to the unrighteous, ‡ Job 21:30Job 34:221Th 5:32Pe 2:12Th 1:9Isa 28:21Jud 1:7Mat 7:13 +6

and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

4 Doesn’t he see my ways, ‡ Job 34:212Ch 16:9Pro 5:21Job 14:16Jer 32:19Pro 15:3Jer 16:17Psa 139:1-3 +4

and count all my steps?

5 “If I have walked with falsehood, ‡ Pro 12:11Psa 44:20-21Ezk 13:8Jer 2:5Mic 2:11Psa 12:2Psa 4:2Psa 7:3-5

and my foot has hurried to deceit

6 (let me be weighed in an even balance, ‡ Dan 5:27Psa 7:8-91Sa 2:3Isa 26:7Mat 7:23Job 27:5-6Job 6:2Jos 22:22 +7

that God may know my integrity);

7 if my step has turned out of the way, ‡ Num 15:39Ecc 11:9Mat 5:29Ezk 14:3Ezk 14:7Ezk 6:9Isa 33:15Job 23:11 +3

if my heart walked after my eyes,

if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

8 then let me sow, and let another eat. ‡ Lev 26:16Mic 6:15Deu 28:38Deu 28:30-33Deu 28:51Jdg 6:3-6Job 15:30Job 18:19 +4

Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

9 “If my heart has been enticed to a woman, ‡ 1Ki 11:4Ecc 7:26Jdg 16:5Hos 7:4Jer 5:8Job 24:15-16Neh 13:26Pro 2:16-19 +4

and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,

10 then let my wife grind for another, ‡ Jer 8:102Sa 12:11Deu 28:30Isa 47:2Exo 11:5Hos 4:13-14Mat 24:41

and let others sleep with her.

11 For that would be a heinous crime. ‡ Lev 20:10Deu 22:22-24Job 31:28Gen 38:24Exo 20:14Ezk 16:38Gen 20:9Pro 6:29-33 +2

Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,

12 for it is a fire that consumes to destruction, ‡ Pro 6:27Jer 5:7-9Heb 13:4Job 15:30Job 20:28Job 26:6Mal 3:5Pro 3:33

and would root out all my increase.

13 “If I have despised the cause of my male servant ‡ Col 4:1Deu 15:12-15Deu 24:14-15Eph 6:9Exo 21:20-21Exo 21:26-27Jer 34:14-17Lev 25:43 +1

or of my female servant,

when they contended with me,

14 what then will I do when God rises up? ‡ Jas 2:13Psa 10:12-15Psa 44:21Psa 9:12Psa 9:19Rom 3:19Zec 2:13Hos 9:7 +8

When he visits, what will I answer him?

15 Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? ‡ Pro 14:31Job 34:19Mal 2:10Pro 22:2Job 10:8-12Isa 58:7Job 10:3Neh 5:5 +1

Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?

16 “If I have withheld the poor from their desire, ‡ Deu 15:7-10Isa 38:14Act 11:29Deu 28:32Gal 2:10Job 20:19Job 22:7-9Job 5:16 +6

or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

17 or have eaten my morsel alone, ‡ 1Jn 3:17Act 4:32Deu 15:11Deu 15:14Ezk 18:16Ezk 18:7Jas 1:27Jhn 13:29 +5

and the fatherless has not eaten of it

18 (no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,

I have guided her from my mother’s womb);

19 if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, ‡ Job 22:61Jn 3:182Ch 28:15Act 9:39Isa 58:7Jas 2:16Job 24:4Job 29:13 +3

or that the needy had no covering;

20 if his heart hasn’t blessed me, ‡ Deu 24:13Job 29:11

if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;

21 if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, ‡ Job 22:9Job 29:12Ezk 22:7Jer 5:28Job 24:9Job 6:27Mic 2:1-2Mic 7:3 +1

because I saw my help in the gate;

22 then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, ‡ Job 31:10Job 31:40Job 38:15Jos 22:22-23Psa 137:6Psa 7:4-5

and my arm be broken from the bone.

23 For calamity from God is a terror to me. ‡ Job 13:11Psa 119:1202Co 5:11Isa 13:6Psa 76:7Gen 39:9Job 20:23Job 21:20 +3

Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.

24 “If I have made gold my hope, ‡ Deu 8:12-14Pro 11:28Psa 49:6-7Psa 52:71Ti 6:101Ti 6:17Luk 12:15Pro 10:15 +6

and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’

25 If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, ‡ Psa 62:10Dan 4:30Deu 8:17-18Est 5:11Ezk 28:5Hab 1:16Hos 12:8Isa 10:13-14 +5

and because my hand had gotten much;

26 if I have seen the sun when it shined, ‡ Ezk 8:16Deu 4:19Deu 17:32Ki 23:112Ki 23:5Jer 44:17Jer 8:2Deu 11:16 +2

or the moon moving in splendor,

27 and my heart has been secretly enticed, ‡ Deu 13:6Deu 11:161Ki 19:18Hos 13:2Isa 44:20Psa 2:12Rom 1:21Rom 1:28

and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;

28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, ‡ Deu 17:2-7Job 31:11Psa 50:6Deu 17:9Gen 18:25Jdg 11:27Job 23:7Job 9:15 +8

for I would have denied the God who is above.

29 “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, ‡ Pro 24:17-18Pro 17:5Oba 1:12Psa 35:13-14Psa 35:25-262Sa 1:122Sa 16:5-82Sa 4:10-11

or lifted up myself when evil found him

30 (I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin ‡ 1Pe 3:9Rom 12:141Pe 2:22-23Exo 23:4-5Jas 3:9-10Mat 5:22Mat 5:43-44Ecc 5:2 +3

by asking his life with a curse);

31 if the men of my tent have not said, ‡ 1Sa 24:101Sa 24:41Sa 26:82Sa 16:9-102Sa 19:21-22Jer 40:15-16Job 19:22Job 22:7 +7

‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’

32 (the foreigner has not camped in the street, ‡ Heb 13:2Gen 19:2-3Jdg 19:20-211Pe 4:9Isa 58:7Mat 25:35Rom 12:131Ti 5:10 +4

but I have opened my doors to the traveler);

33 if like Adam I have covered my transgressions, ‡ Pro 28:13Act 5:81Jn 1:8-10Gen 3:12Hos 6:7Jos 7:11Gen 3:7-8

by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

34 because I feared the great multitude, ‡ Exo 23:2Pro 29:252Co 5:16Amo 5:11-13Est 4:11Est 4:14Exo 32:27Jer 38:16 +11

and the contempt of families terrified me,

so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—

35 oh that I had one to hear me! ‡ Job 13:21-22Job 40:4-5Job 13:24Job 13:3Job 17:3Job 19:23-24Job 19:7Job 23:3-7 +9

Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!

Let the accuser write my indictment!

36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, ‡ Isa 22:22Exo 28:12Isa 62:3Job 29:14Php 4:1

and I would bind it to me as a crown.

37 I would declare to him the number of my steps. ‡ Job 13:15Eph 3:12Heb 4:15-161Jn 3:19-21Gen 32:28Job 1:3Job 14:16Job 29:25 +3

I would go near to him like a prince.

38 If my land cries out against me, ‡ Hab 2:11Jas 5:4Job 20:27Psa 65:13

and its furrows weep together;

39 if I have eaten its fruits without money, ‡ 1Ki 21:19Jas 5:41Ki 21:13-16Ezk 22:12-13Ezk 22:6Gen 4:12Isa 26:21Pro 1:19

or have caused its owners to lose their life,

40 let briers grow instead of wheat, ‡ Gen 3:17-18Isa 7:23Mal 1:3Psa 72:20Zep 2:9

and stinkweed instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.