New American Standard Bible

New International Version

Job Asserts His Integrity

“I have made a covenant with my eyes;
How then could I gaze at a virgin?

1

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

2

“And what is the portion of God from above
Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high?

2

For what is our lot from God above,
our heritage from the Almighty on high?

3

“Is it not calamity to the unjust
And disaster to those who work iniquity?

3

Is it not ruin for the wicked,
disaster for those who do wrong?

4

“Does He not see my ways
And number all my steps?

4

Does he not see my ways
and count my every step?

5

“If I have walked with falsehood,
And my foot has hastened after deceit,

5

“If I have walked with falsehood
or my foot has hurried after deceit —

6

Let Him weigh me with accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.

6

let God weigh me in honest scales
and he will know that I am blameless —

7

“If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,

7

if my steps have turned from the path,
if my heart has been led by my eyes,
or if my hands have been defiled,

8

Let me sow and another eat,
And let my crops be uprooted.

8

then may others eat what I have sown,
and may my crops be uprooted.

9

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,

9

“If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

10

May my wife grind for another,
And let others kneel down over her.

10

then may my wife grind another man’s grain,
and may other men sleep with her.

11

“For that would be a lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges.

11

For that would have been wicked,
a sin to be judged.

12

“For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon,
And would uproot all my increase.

12

It is a fire that burns to Destructiona;
it would have uprooted my harvest.

13

“If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,

13

“If I have denied justice to any of my servants,
whether male or female,
when they had a grievance against me,

14

What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him?

14

what will I do when God confronts me?
What will I answer when called to account?

15

“Did not He who made me in the womb make him,
And the same one fashion us in the womb?

15

Did not he who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

16

“If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

16

“If I have denied the desires of the poor
or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

17

Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the orphan has not shared it

17

if I have kept my bread to myself,
not sharing it with the fatherless —

18

(But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from infancy I guided her),

18

but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
and from my birth I guided the widow —

19

If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering,

19

if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,
or the needy without garments,

20

If his loins have not thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

20

and their hearts did not bless me
for warming them with the fleece from my sheep,

21

If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw I had support in the gate,

21

if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
knowing that I had influence in court,

22

Let my shoulder fall from the socket,
And my arm be broken off at the elbow.

22

then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
let it be broken off at the joint.

23

“For calamity from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty I can do nothing.

23

For I dreaded destruction from God,
and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

24

“If I have put my confidence in gold,
And called fine gold my trust,

24

“If I have put my trust in gold
or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’

25

If I have gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had secured so much;

25

if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,
the fortune my hands had gained,

26

If I have looked at the sun when it shone
Or the moon going in splendor,

26

if I have regarded the sun in its radiance
or the moon moving in splendor,

27

And my heart became secretly enticed,
And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,

27

so that my heart was secretly enticed
and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

28

That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment,
For I would have denied God above.

28

then these also would be sins to be judged,
for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.

29

“Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy,
Or exulted when evil befell him?

29

“If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune
or gloated over the trouble that came to him —

30

“No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in a curse.

30

I have not allowed my mouth to sin
by invoking a curse against their life —

31

“Have the men of my tent not said,
‘Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat’?

31

if those of my household have never said,
‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’ —

32

“The alien has not lodged outside,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler.

32

but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
for my door was always open to the traveler —

33

“Have I covered my transgressions like Adam,
By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,

33

if I have concealed my sin as people do,b
by hiding my guilt in my heart

34

Because I feared the great multitude,
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And kept silent and did not go out of doors?

34

because I so feared the crowd
and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
that I kept silent and would not go outside —

35

“Oh that I had one to hear me!
Behold, here is my signature;
Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my adversary has written,

35

(“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!
I sign now my defense — let the Almighty answer me;
let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

36

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,
I would bind it to myself like a crown.

36

Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,
I would put it on like a crown.

37

“I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince I would approach Him.

37

I would give him an account of my every step;
I would present it to him as to a ruler.) —

38

“If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;

38

“if my land cries out against me
and all its furrows are wet with tears,

39

If I have eaten its fruit without money,
Or have caused its owners to lose their lives,

39

if I have devoured its yield without payment
or broken the spirit of its tenants,

40

Let briars grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.

40

then let briers come up instead of wheat
and stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.

Parallel

New American Standard Bible

New International Version

Job 31

Job 31