New International Version

New Living Translation

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

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

2

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

3

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

3

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

4

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

4

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

5

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

5

“Have I lied to anyone
or deceived anyone?

6

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

6

Let God weigh me on the scales of justice,
for he knows 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 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 may others eat what I have sown,
and may my crops be uprooted.

8

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

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 seduced by a woman,
or if I have lusted for my neighbor’s wife,

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

10

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

11

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

11

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

12

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

12

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

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 been unfair to my male or female servants
when they brought their complaints to me,

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

14

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

15

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

15

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

16

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

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

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

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

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

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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 anyone perishing for lack of clothing,
or the needy without garments,

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

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

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

21

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

21

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

22

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

22

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

23

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

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 put my trust in gold
or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’

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

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

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

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

26

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

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

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

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

28

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

29

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

29

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

30

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

30

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

31

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

31

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

32

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

32

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

33

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

33

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

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

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

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

36

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

37

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

37

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

38

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

38

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

39

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

39

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

40

then let briers come up instead of wheat
and stinkweed 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

New International Version

New Living Translation

Job 31

Job 31