King James Bible

New Living Translation

Job's Final Appeal

I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

1

Job’s Final Protest of Innocence

“I made a covenant with my eyes
not to look with lust at a young woman.

2

For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

2

For what has God above chosen for us?
What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high?

3

Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

3

Isn’t it calamity for the wicked
and misfortune for those who do evil?

4

Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

4

Doesn’t he see everything I do
and every step I take?

5

If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

5

“Have I lied to anyone
or deceived anyone?

6

Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

6

Let God weigh me on the scales of justice,
for he knows my integrity.

7

If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

7

If I have strayed from his pathway,
or if my heart has lusted for what my eyes have seen,
or if I am guilty of any other sin,

8

Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

8

then let someone else eat the crops I have planted.
Let all that I have planted be uprooted.

9

If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;

9

“If my heart has been seduced by a woman,
or if I have lusted for my neighbor’s wife,

10

Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

10

then let my wife servea another man;
let other men sleep with her.

11

For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

11

For lust is a shameful sin,
a crime that should be punished.

12

For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

12

It is a fire that burns all the way to hell.b
It would wipe out everything I own.

13

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

13

“If I have been unfair to my male or female servants
when they brought their complaints to me,

14

What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

14

how could I face God?
What could I say when he questioned me?

15

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

15

For God created both me and my servants.
He created us both in the womb.

16

If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

16

“Have I refused to help the poor,
or crushed the hopes of widows?

17

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

17

Have I been stingy with my food
and refused to share it with orphans?

18

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)

18

No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father,
and all my life I have cared for widows.

19

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

19

Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes
and the needy with nothing to wear,

20

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

20

did they not praise me
for providing wool clothing to keep them warm?

21

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

21

“If I raised my hand against an orphan,
knowing the judges would take my side,

22

Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

22

then let my shoulder be wrenched out of place!
Let my arm be torn from its socket!

23

For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

23

That would be better than facing God’s judgment.
For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there?

24

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

24

“Have I put my trust in money
or felt secure because of my gold?

25

If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

25

Have I gloated about my wealth
and all that I own?

26

If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;

26

“Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies,
or the moon walking down its silver pathway,

27

And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

27

and been secretly enticed in my heart
to throw kisses at them in worship?

28

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

28

If so, I should be punished by the judges,
for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.

29

If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

29

“Have I ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies,
or become excited when harm came their way?

30

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

30

No, I have never sinned by cursing anyone
or by asking for revenge.

31

If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

31

“My servants have never said,
‘He let others go hungry.’

32

The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.

32

I have never turned away a stranger
but have opened my doors to everyone.

33

If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

33

“Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do,
concealing my guilt in my heart?

34

Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?

34

Have I feared the crowd
or the contempt of the masses,
so that I kept quiet and stayed indoors?

35

Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

35

“If only someone would listen to me!
Look, I will sign my name to my defense.
Let the Almighty answer me.
Let my accuser write out the charges against me.

36

Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

36

I would face the accusation proudly.
I would wear it like a crown.

37

I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

37

For I would tell him exactly what I have done.
I would come before him like a prince.

38

If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

38

“If my land accuses me
and all its furrows cry out together,

39

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

39

or if I have stolen its crops
or murdered its owners,

40

Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

40

then let thistles grow on that land instead of wheat,
and weeds instead of barley.”
Job’s words are ended.

Parallel

King James Bible

New Living Translation

Job 31

Job 31