New International Version

English Standard Version

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

1

Job’s Final Appeal

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

2

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

2

What would be my portion from God above
and my heritage from the Almighty on high?

3

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

3

Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
and disaster for the workers of iniquity?

4

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

4

Does not he see my ways
and number all my steps?

5

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

5

“If I have walked with falsehood
and my foot has hastened to deceit;

6

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

6

(Let me be weighed in a just balance,
and let God know my integrity!)

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,

7

if my step has turned aside from the way
and my heart has gone after my eyes,
and if any spot has stuck to my hands,

8

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

8

then let me sow, and another eat,
and let what grows for mea be rooted out.

9

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

9

“If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,

10

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

10

then let my wife grind for another,
and let others bow down on her.

11

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

11

For that would be a heinous crime;
that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;

12

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

12

for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon,
and it would burn to the root all my increase.

13

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

13

“If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,
when they brought a complaint against me,

14

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

14

what then shall I do when God rises up?
When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?

15

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

15

Did not he who made me in the womb make him?
And did not one fashion us in the womb?

16

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

16

“If I have withheld anything that the poor desired,
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

17

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

17

or have eaten my morsel alone,
and the fatherless has not eaten of it

18

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

18

(for from my youth the fatherlessb grew up with me as with a father,
and from my mother’s womb I guided the widowc),

19

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

19

if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
or the needy without covering,

20

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

20

if his body has not blessed me,d
and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

21

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

21

if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
because I saw my help in the gate,

22

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

22

then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.

23

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

23

For I was in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his majesty.

24

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

24

“If I have made gold my trust
or called fine gold my confidence,

25

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

25

if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
or because my hand had found much,

26

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

26

if I have looked at the sune when it shone,
or the moon moving in splendor,

27

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

27

and my heart has been secretly enticed,
and my mouth has kissed my hand,

28

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

28

this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
for I would have been false to God above.

29

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

29

“If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
or exulted when evil overtook him

30

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

30

(I have not let my mouth sin
by asking for his life with a curse),

31

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

31

if the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?’

32

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

32

(the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
I have opened my doors to the traveler),

33

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

33

if I have concealed my transgressions as others dof
by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

34

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

34

because I stood in great fear of the multitude,
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors —

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.

35

Oh, that I had one to hear me!
(Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!)
Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!

36

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

36

Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
I would bind it on me as a crown;

37

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

37

I would give him an account of all my steps;
like a prince I would approach him.

38

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

38

“If my land has cried out against me
and its furrows have wept together,

39

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

39

if I have eaten its yield without payment
and made its owners breathe their last,

40

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

40

let thorns grow instead of wheat,
and foul weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.

Parallel

New International Version

English Standard Version

Job 31

Job 31